ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Orange County Registrar of Voters has certified the results of the failed recall of Anaheim City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava, who will remain in office and retain her spot Thursday.

What You Need To Know

  • The OC Registrar of Voters has certified the results of a failed recall of Anaheim City Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava

  • Rubalcava survived the recall attempt with 3,240 "no" votes 

  • The city council will officially declare the results no later than July 28

  • The recall supporters said "she has wasted taxpayer money to help hotel interests"

Rubalcava survived the recall attempt with 3,240 "no" votes and 2,775 "yes" votes.

The Anaheim City Council will officially declare the results no later than July 28.

Turnout was 23.3%, with 95.1% of the votes cast by mail and 4.9% cast in-person at vote centers.

Rubalcava drew the ire of United Here Local 11, a union for hotel workers, which accused her of corruption. Rubalcava denied any misconduct and accused the union of sour grapes when it failed to defeat her in the November 2022 election.

Rubalcava, who also serves on the Orange County Fair Board, represents District 3.

Union leaders said in their statement for the recall that the councilwoman "sides with the same powerful business interests who have corrupted Anaheim politics ..."

The recall supporters also said "she has wasted taxpayer money to help hotel interests."

The recall boosters also tied her to disgraced former Chamber of Commerce CEO Todd Ament, who pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court. They said Ament's organization "spent nearly $380,000 to elect her."

Rubalcava, however, said the recall "is about one LA-based organization that hasn't gotten over losing the last election."

She said the claims from recall supporters were "exaggerated or completely untrue."