ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA — NOVEMBER 5, 2026. The Newport–Mesa Unified School District governing-board election in Trustee Area 7 has an early reported lead for Andy Godinez with 2,446 votes (57.8%) over Grace Dañino Hickok with 1,784 (42.2%). The difference is 662 votes in the November 4 county tally and is not certified. These results are an unofficial snapshot, not a certified winner.
An area election in a district covering two cities
Newport–Mesa Unified serves school communities connected to Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. Trustee Area 7 is only one part of that district, so its 4,230 valid candidate votes cannot be equated with an entire city’s turnout, or with the election for a council seat in either municipality.
Another trustee area was also on the ballot
The county’s Trustee Area 2 report shows incumbent Michelle Murphy with 3,971 votes (67.2%) compared with Craig Holiday’s 1,936 (32.8%). Area 2 and Area 7 are separate, and their percentages use different electorates.
What trustees do
The governing board determines district educational policies, capital priorities, budgets and oversight processes for district leadership. Voters evaluating board performance can consult meeting agendas, recorded votes, budget documents and publicly available financial statements, not only campaign advertisements or early returns.
Local elections are not identical
Newport Beach residents also voted on Measure H, a city land-use question. The school district’s trustee vote is an independent public office, with different boundaries and statutory authority.
What the next count could change
These figures come from the Orange County November 3 general-election results, updated November 4 at approximately 5:02 p.m. Pacific. Legal vote counting continues, including qualified vote-by-mail and provisional ballots and post-election checks. The countywide number of outstanding ballots must not be assumed to belong to a particular small district or to have a known candidate preference. The Orange County Registrar of Voters controls the official canvass and will publish certified totals under the legal schedule. California’s statewide certification follows on December 11. No winner is certified by this article.
California58 local elections desk, November 5, 2026. Primary result source: the Orange County by-race tally accessed November 5, reporting cutoff November 4, 5:02 p.m. All figures unofficial. No endorsement of candidates.
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