Donald P. (Don) Wagner

Office sought: Secretary of State
Party: Republican
Ballot designation: Orange County Supervisor

Background

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]

Prior offices and election history

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. The candidate list in this election may not be complete. 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 Shirley Weber (D) Donald P. Wagner (R) Gary Blenner (G) Michael Feinstein (G) Incumbents are bolded and underlined . = 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.

2026 — Endorsements

Wagner received the following endorsements. To send us additional endorsements, click here . April’s Common Sense Cali Voters (Sway voting group by April Silverman (Cali MAGA Barbie)) Based in Malibu (Sway voting group by Based in Malibu) CalMatters Voter Guide (Sway voting group by CalMatters) California Republican Assembly’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Republican Assembly) California Republican Party’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by California Republican Party) Christine Fontes Voter Guide (Sway voting group by Christine Fontes) Craig Alexander’s Picks (Sway voting group by Craig Alexander’s Picks) Elizabeth Barcohana’s Lady with a Brain Voter Guide (Sway voting group by Elizabeth Barcohana) Fullerton Observer’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Fullerton Observer) Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association) KPBS Endorsement Guide (Sway voting group by KPBS) Kathy’s Picks (Sway voting group by Kathy’s Picks) Nancy’s Picks (Sway voting group by Nancy’s Picks) Penny’s Picks (Sway voting group by Penny’s Picks) Reform California’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Reform California) Robyn Nordell — LA County’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Robyn Nordell — LA County) Robyn Nordell — Riverside’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Robyn Nordell — Riverside) Robyn Nordell — San Bernardino’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by Robyn Nordell — San Bernardino) San Diego County Republican Party’s Voting Group (Sway voting group by San Diego County Republican Party) iVoterGuide California (Sway voting group by iVoterGuide)

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 ✔ Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan) 63.5 97,706 Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan) 36.5 56,207 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 153,913 = 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.

2024 — 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 ✔ Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan) 52.3 80,544 Ashleigh Aitken (Nonpartisan) 47.7 73,334 Incumbents are bolded and underlined . The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 153,878 = 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.

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 ✔ Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan) 42.0 30,240 Loretta Sanchez (Nonpartisan) 37.1 26,708 Kris Murray (Nonpartisan) 7.4 5,338 Submit photo Larry Bales (Nonpartisan) 5.4 3,912 Submit photo Deborah Pauly (Nonpartisan) 5.3 3,847 Kim-Thy Hoang Bayliss (Nonpartisan) 1.9 1,366 Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan) 0.8 597 There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source Total votes: 72,008 = 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.

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 ✔ Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan) 45.3 35,592 Submit photo Ed Pope (Nonpartisan) 31.4 24,682 Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan) 16.6 13,018 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 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 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 John 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 Donald 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 Donald 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 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 Donald P. Wagner (R) 15,862 Steven S. Choi (R) 14,569 Jerry Amante (R) 11,660 Jay Ferguson (R) 6,341

Issue positions (campaign themes)

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses See also: Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Donald P. Wagner has not yet completed Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Donald P. Wagner, click here to fill out Ballotpedia’s 2026 Candidate Connection survey . Who fills out Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey? Any candidate running for elected office, at any level, can complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Survey. Completing the survey will update the candidate’s Ballotpedia profile, letting voters know who they are and what they stand for. More than 28,000 candidates have taken Ballotpedia’s candidate survey since we launched it in 2015. Learn more about the survey here . Help improve Ballotpedia - send us candidate contact info .

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] ”

Committee assignments

Committee assignments — 2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees: California committee assignments, 2015 • Appropriations • Judiciary , Vice chair • Public Employees, Retirement and Social Security • Revenue and Taxation

Committee assignments — 2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Wagner served on the following committees: California committee assignments, 2013 • Aging and Long-Term Care , Vice chair • Appropriations • Budget • Health • Judiciary , Vice chair

Committee assignments — 2011-2012

In the 2011-2012 legislative session, Wagner served on these committees: California committee assignments, 2011 • Aging and Long-Term Care • Appropriations • Budget • Education • Judiciary , Vice chair

Enrichment source: Ballotpedia — https://ballotpedia.org/Donald_P._Wagner

Sources

• CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide
• Ballotpedia (enrichment, when available)