Aitken, a community member in Anaheim, is endorsed by a long list of progressive Democrats in her bid for mayor.
Anaheim mayoral candidate Ashleigh Aitken, 41, is endorsed by Democrats U.S. Rep. Katie Porter, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, union groups, and other progressives. In 2018, Aitken also ran for mayor.
In 2020, Aitken also lost a race to be an Orange County Boardmember.
Aitken is a former federal prosecutor and consumer advocate. She announced her bid in the city’s mayoral race last August. According to early polling, Aitken has only gained 18 percent of the vote, alongside candidate and former councilmember Lorri Galloway. Current mayor and candidate Trevor O’Neil leads polling with 39% of the early vote.
Other Democrat groups endorsing Aitken include labor union groups Unite Here Local 11, Anaheim Municipal Employees Association, and the Orange County Labor Federation.
Democrats U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Rep. Mike Levin and Rep. Linda Sanchez also support Aitken.
Aitken—who currently lives in District 6 which represents Balboa, Corona Del Mar, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Seal Beach, and Sunset Beach—has never held an elected political position. If elected mayor, tackling homelessness would be her top priority, she’s told local media previously.
“The mayor of Anaheim is going to have to be a leader and hold the county to task,” Aitken told the Voice of OC.
Aitken, who got her Bachelor’s degree in secondary education from Boston College and got her law credentials from the University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, has served on the Orange County Fair Board since 2012 and was elected chairwoman in 2015.
“I’m running for Mayor to advocate for our neighborhoods by protecting taxpayers against waste and giveaways, tackling the homelessness crisis with urgency, protecting public health, and helping local businesses and workers recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic,” Aitken said in a statement last year.
