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Donald P. Wagner

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Donald P. Wagner
Republican Party
Candidate, California Secretary of State
Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3
Tenure
2019 - Present
Term ends
2029
Years in position
7
Predecessor: Todd Spitzer
Prior offices:
Mayor of Irvine
Years in office: 2016 - 2019
Predecessor: Steven S. Choi
Successor: Christina Shea
California State Assembly District 68
Years in office: 2012 - 2016
Predecessor: Allan Mansoor (R)
Successor: Steven S. Choi (R)
California State Assembly District 70
Years in office: 2010 - 2012
Predecessor: Charles DeVore (R)
Successor: Bonnie Lowenthal (D)
Elections and appointments
Last election
March 5, 2024
Next election
June 2, 2026
Education
Bachelor's
University of California, Los Angeles
Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Personal
Profession
Attorney
Contact
Personal LinkedIn

Donald P. Wagner (also known as Don) is a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors in California, representing District 3. He assumed office in 2019. His current term ends on January 8, 2029.

Wagner (Republican Party) is running for election for California Secretary of State. He is on the ballot in the primary on June 2, 2026.[source]

Biography

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Wagner earned a B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings. Wagner's professional experience includes working as an attorney. He has served as president of the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees, the American Lung Association of Orange County, and the Orange County chapter of the Federalist Society. He has also been a judge pro tempore for the Superior Court of Orange County and a member of committees and advisory boards of the Orange County Bar Association.[1]

Wagner and his wife, Megan, have three children.[1]

Elections

2026

See also: California Secretary of State election, 2026

General election

The primary will occur on June 2, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Nonpartisan primary

Nonpartisan primary election for California Secretary of State

Incumbent Shirley Weber (D), Donald P. Wagner (R), Gary Blenner (G), and Michael Feinstein (G) are running in the primary for California Secretary of State on June 2, 2026.

Candidate
Image of Shirley Weber
Shirley Weber (D)
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (R)
Image of Gary Blenner
Gary Blenner (G)
Image of Michael Feinstein
Michael Feinstein (G)

Incumbents are bolded and underlined.

Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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2024

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2024)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3

Incumbent Donald P. Wagner won election outright against Farrah Khan in the primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan)
 
63.5
 
97,706
Image of Farrah Khan
Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
36.5
 
56,207

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 153,913
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Wagner in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2020)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3

Incumbent Donald P. Wagner won election outright against Ashleigh Aitken in the primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3 on March 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan)
 
52.3
 
80,544
Image of Ashleigh Aitken
Ashleigh Aitken (Nonpartisan)
 
47.7
 
73,334

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 153,878
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2019

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2019)

General election

Special general election for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3 on March 12, 2019.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan)
 
42.0
 
30,240
Image of Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez (Nonpartisan)
 
37.1
 
26,708
Image of Kris Murray
Kris Murray (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
7.4
 
5,338
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Larry Bales (Nonpartisan)
 
5.4
 
3,912
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Deborah Pauly (Nonpartisan)
 
5.3
 
3,847
Image of Kim-Thy Hoang Bayliss
Kim-Thy Hoang Bayliss (Nonpartisan)
 
1.9
 
1,366
Image of Katherine Daigle
Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan)
 
0.8
 
597

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 72,008
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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2018

See also: Mayoral election in Irvine, California (2018)

General election

General election for Mayor of Irvine

Incumbent Donald P. Wagner defeated Ed Pope, Katherine Daigle, and Ing Tiong in the general election for Mayor of Irvine on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan)
 
45.3
 
35,592
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Ed Pope (Nonpartisan)
 
31.4
 
24,682
Image of Katherine Daigle
Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan)
 
16.6
 
13,018
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Ing Tiong (Nonpartisan)
 
6.8
 
5,341

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 78,633
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Municipal elections in Irvine, California (2016)

The city of Irvine, California, held elections for mayor and city council on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was in August 2016. Two of the four city council seats were up for election.[2] Don Wagner defeated Mary Ann Gaido, Gang Chen, Katherine Daigle, and David Chey in the Mayor of Irvine general election.[3]

Mayor of Irvine, General Election, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Don Wagner 37.69% 30,002
Mary Ann Gaido 33.01% 26,278
Gang Chen 14.84% 11,816
Katherine Daigle 10.43% 8,299
David Chey 4.03% 3,206
Total Votes 79,601
Source: Orange County Elections, "Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 2016

2015

See also: California state legislative special elections, 2015

John Moorlach (R) defeated Donald P. Wagner (R) and Naz Namazi (R) in the primary election on March 17.[4][5][6]

The seat was vacant following Mimi Walters' (R) election to Congress.[7]

A special election for the position of California State Senate District 37 was called for May 19. A primary election took place on March 17, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 23, 2015.[8]

California State Senate, District 37, Special Election, 2015
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJohn M. W. Moorlach 51.4% 38,125
     Republican Donald P. Wagner 45.1% 33,411
     Republican Naz Namazi 3.5% 2,621
Total Votes 74,157

2014

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2014

Elections for the California State Assembly took place in 2014. A primary election took place on June 3, 2014. The general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was March 7, 2014. Incumbent Donald P. "Don" Wagner (R) and Anne Cameron (D) were unopposed in the blanket primary. Wagner defeated Cameron in the general election.[9][10][11]

California State Assembly, District 68, General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald P. "Don" Wagner Incumbent 68.4% 66,445
     Democratic Anne Cameron 31.6% 30,749
Total Votes 97,194


2012

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2012

Wagner won re-election in the 2012 election for California State Assembly District 68. Due to redistricting following the 2010 census, he was displaced from District 70. He and Christina Avalos (D) advanced past the blanket primary on June 5, 2012, unopposed. He was subsequently elected in the general election on November 6, 2012.[12][13][14]

California State Assembly, District 68, General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngDonald P. "Don" Wagner Incumbent 60.8% 104,706
     Democratic Christina Avalos 39.2% 67,448
Total Votes 172,154

2010

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2010

Wagner defeated Steven S. Choi, Jay Ferguson, and Jerry Amante in the June 8 primary. He then defeated Democrat Melissa Fox and Libertarian Deborah Tharp in the November 2 general election.[15][16]

California State Assembly, District 70 General Election (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png

Donald P. Wagner (R)

89,636
Melissa Fox (D) 58,208
Deborah Tharp (L) 6,212
California House of Representatives, District 70 Republican Primary (2010)
Candidates Votes
Green check mark transparent.png

Donald P. Wagner (R)

15,862
Steven S. Choi (R) 14,569
Jerry Amante (R) 11,660
Jay Ferguson (R) 6,341

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

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2024

Donald P. Wagner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Donald P. Wagner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Donald P. Wagner did not complete Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey.

2016

In his 2016 mayoral candidate statement of qualifications, Wagner listed the following goals:

“

Restore and Protect the Master Plan.

My wife and I moved to Irvine in 1991 because it is a master planned community; but, Irvine has strayed from that plan, giving us more congestion, traffic, and a lower quality of life.

Improve Traffic.

More than words are needed to fix the problems caused by uncontrolled growth. As Mayor, I will appoint a transportation czar with the power to oversee our roads and propose solutions to our gridlock. I will also bring back the transportation commission made up of citizens and experts to ease current traffic congestion and plan for future traffic conditions.

Support Irvine’s Schools.

I know education policy and value our schools. In the Legislature, I served on the education committee, and am Chairman of the University of California Caucus. As a trustee and President of the South Orange County Community College District running Irvine Valley College, I balanced every budget without tax increases.

Keep Irvine Safe.

Irvine must remain the safest city of its size in America. As Mayor, I will commit the resources needed to keep us safe.

Deliver on the Great Park.

I will partner with the community to stop corruption and mismanagement so we can finally build the Great Park.[17][18]

”

2014

Wagner's 2014 state legislative campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“

Create Jobs

California's unemployment is in double digits and Sacramento hardly notices. The elitist majority in Sacramento doesn't seem to mind yet another business moving to a friendlier state or yet another worker forced on to the unemployment rolls.

Reign In Spending

Every month California families stretch their budgets and pinch their pennies to make ends meet. Not so in the State Capitol. There, budget gimmicks and creative tax schemes encourage the state's spending spree. This has got to stop.

Promote Academic Success

It's a grim statistic: A third of the children in California schools drop out before graduating from high school. Not only are their future opportunities limited, but our society functions poorly with so many insufficiently educated and low-skilled people. For those reasons, and as a father of three, I care passionately about education.

Sensible Water Policies

It is not unreasonable for Californians to expect water at a fair price. Unfortunately, the state's burdensome environmental laws and extreme regulations increase the cost of water and reduce its supply. And they do so without providing any real benefit to the environment.

Crime

It's happening more and more often: Crime, drugs, and gang violence invade our communities. The sources of this scourge are both home grown and imported from across the border.

Illegal Immigration

I'll fight for our communities by working to put a stop to illegal immigration. I'll promote tightened eligibility requirements for government services and a tough stance against imported crime and violence. Immigrants here legally deserve our support.

Protect Families

The family is the bedrock of our civilization. It is critical to our state that we protect the family from threats to re-define it, make it obsolete, or undermine its importance to society. I will defend the God-given right of parents to teach their children their values, to defend marriage, and to defend the right to express our faith in the public square.

Transportation

Californians voted to prioritize investments in infrastructure and reduce traffic congestion. Where are the new roads? I want to get Orange County moving again by getting to the bottom of the waste and broken promises for better roads and necessary repairs.

Reduce Taxes

Californians shoulder the highest personal income tax burden in the country. And yet our state teeters on the brink of financial collapse. The liberal tax and spend crowd in Sacramento needs to understand that no society has ever taxed its way to prosperity. Trying to achieve solvency on the backs of productive citizens is morally wrong ? and it will not work.[19] [18]

”

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Donald P. Wagner campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2014California State Assembly, District 68Won $439,192 N/A**
2012California State Assembly, District 68Won $320,499 N/A**
2010California State Assembly, District 70Won $298,774 N/A**
2004California State Assembly, District 70Lost $184,764 N/A**
Grand total$1,243,229 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Election Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

State legislative tenure

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards, State legislative scorecards in California

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states. To contribute to the list of scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2025.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2024.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2023.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2022.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2021.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2020.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2019.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2015.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2014.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2013.

Below you can find the scorecards found for the California State Legislature in 2012.

In 2011, the California State Legislature was either not in session or no scorecards were found. Please contact us if you would like to suggest a scorecard.

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Committee assignments

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees:

2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Wagner served on these committees:

See also

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External links

Personal

  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assemblymember Donald P. Wagner, "Donald P. Wagner Biography," accessed October 4, 2016
    2. ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Current Election Info," accessed August 13, 2015
    3. ↑ City of Irvine, "Qualified Candidates for Mayor / City Council," accessed August 18, 2016
    4. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official candidate list," accessed January 28, 2015
    5. ↑ The Washington Times, "2 Republicans headed for runoff in OC state Senate primary," March 18, 2015
    6. ↑ Orange County, "Orange County Results for Election, District 37," accessed April 6, 2015
    7. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Gov. Brown calls special election for three vacant state Senate seats," January 13, 2015
    8. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Special election calendar," accessed January 14, 2015
    9. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2014 Primary election candidate list," accessed March 27, 2014
    10. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary election results," accessed July 15, 2014
    11. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official general election results," accessed December 14, 2014
    12. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official primary candidate list," accessed March 13, 2014
    13. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 Primary election results," accessed March 13, 2014
    14. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2012 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
    15. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2010 Primary election results," accessed March 13, 2014
    16. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Official 2010 General election results," accessed March 13, 2014
    17. ↑ City of Irvine, "Candidate Statement of Qualifications," accessed October 4, 2016
    18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    19. ↑ Wagner for Assembly, "Issues," accessed October 4, 2016

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Todd Spitzer     		Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3
    2019-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -
    Preceded by
    Steven S. Choi     		Mayor of Irvine
    2016-2019    		 Succeeded by
    Christina Shea
    Preceded by
    Allan Mansoor (R)     		California State Assembly District 68
    2012-2016    		 Succeeded by
    Steven S. Choi (R)
    Preceded by
    Charles DeVore (R)     		California State Assembly District 70
    2010-2012    		 Succeeded by
    Bonnie Lowenthal (D)

    Footnotes

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    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Donald_P._Wagner&oldid=11158504"