Orange County California – How They Voted in the Super Tuesday California Primary

Graphics courtesy of the Orange County Register

John McCain narrowly beat Mitt Romney in Orange County Tuesday. McCain, a Vietnam War POW, won big in Little Saigon. Romney won a handful of precincts, mostly in south county. But Republican voters in most precincts split, giving neither man a majority. The contest was so tight that in 100 precincts both men got between 40 percent and 50 percent of the total GOP vote.

And, now the Democrats:

Hillary Rodham Clinton piled up big majorities in almost every precinct north and west of the 55 Freeway. She did particularly well in heavily minority precincts from Santa Ana north to Buena Park. This is the most reliably Democratic part of the county in general elections. Barack Obama did well around Newport Beach and UC Irvine. Clinton won 55.4 percent of the county Democratic vote to Obama’s 37.9 percent and won outright majorities in most precincts.

What is interesting to Flap is that the maps bode well for the GOP in a McCain vs. Obama match up. Will this allow the GOP to put California in play as McCain appeals to Reagan Democrats, independents (the fastest growing California constituency), Asian Americans and Hispanics?

By far, Hillary Clinton would be the strongest Democrat candidate against McCain in Orange County. But, will the Democrats nominate her?