Orange County Board of Education President Tim Shaw is entering the general election campaign for Orange County Supervisor with a growing list of endorsements from elected officials and political organizations, highlighted by the support of Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
Shaw’s campaign formally launched its general election effort with a fundraiser on Aug. 12 that drew supporters from across Orange County. Barnes, who served as the event’s keynote speaker, used the occasion to reaffirm his endorsement of Shaw.
Sheriff Barnes said “Tim Shaw has been a trusted partner for public safety. He understands the challenges facing our communities and has consistently stood with law enforcement to keep Orange County safe. Tim is a principled leader who brings experience, integrity, and common sense to every decision. I am proud to endorse Tim Shaw for Orange County Supervisor.”
Shaw called the endorsement a “tremendous honor,” and said he “looks forward to working alongside the Sheriff as a County Supervisor.”
The fundraiser comes as Shaw continues to build support following the June primary election. In recent weeks, his campaign has announced endorsements from several prominent Orange County organizations and elected officials, including New Majority of Orange County, the Lincoln Club of Orange County, Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, Orange County Assessor Claude Parrish, Anaheim City Councilmembers Ryan Balius and Natalie Meeks, Brea Mayor Cecilia Hupp, and Placentia Mayor Chad Wanke.
When asked about the growing list of endorsements, Shaw stated “I am extremely grateful for the additional support for our campaign. I look forward to working with each of these leaders to make Orange County a better place.”
Shaw is seeking a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and is campaigning on his experience in local government and regional leadership. He previously served as mayor, chairman of the Orange County Transportation Authority, and currently serves as president of the Orange County Board of Education.
Tim Shaw served on the La Habra City Council from 2008 through 2021. He has served on the Orange County Board of Education, District 4, since 2020. The boundaries of the 4mth Supervisor District are roughly the same Shaw’s Board of Education district, from which he has been elected several times.
Shaw’s opponent Connor Traut, moved to Buena Park in early 2018 and ran for city council that same year, defeating a poorly funded opponent. Traut is an attorney and works at his family’s personal injury law firm.
Shaw will face Buena Park Councilmember Connor Traut in the November general election. At 31 years old, Traut is seeking one of the most influential local government positions in Orange County, a role responsible for overseeing a multibillion-dollar county budget and major policy decisions affecting more than 3 million residents. A Democrat, Traut has served on the Buena Park City Council since 2018 and previously served on the Centralia School District Board of Education.
Traut has won one competitive election in the past 8 years – his first run for Buena Park City Council in 2018. At the beginning of 2018 Traut moved from Anaheim to Buena Park and filed to run for city council, defeating an underfunded life-long resident. Four years later, Traut won re-election without opposition.
Traut has attracted support from many of Orange County’s most prominent progressive political figures and organized labor interests. His endorsers include Supervisors Vicente Sarmiento and Doug Chaffee, Congressman Derek Tran, State Senator Tom Umberg, Assemblymembers Sharon Quirk-Silva and Cottie Petrie-Norris, the Democratic Party of Orange County, the Orange County Labor Federation, and several public employee, police, and firefighter unions. The race is expected to present voters with a clear choice between Shaw’s coalition of center-right business and public safety leaders and Traut’s alliance of Democratic elected officials and labor-backed political organizations.
