Jan. 31--Former Garden Grove Councilman Andrew Do has won a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, which would make the panel the first Asian American majority in Southern California, according to unofficial results in Friday's special election.
Do, who campaigned vigorously in the county's sprawling Vietnamese enclave, collected 18,905 votes to Lou Correa's 18,862, according to returns. Correa, a former state senator, was by far the better-known candidate in the race.
Do and Correa could not immediately be reached for comment.
Do's election would give the county Board of Supervisors an Asian American majority for the first time. Michelle Park Steel, a Korean immigrant, and Lisa Bartlett, a Japanese American, were elected to the five-member board in November.
Neal Kelley, registrar of voters, said he expects to certify the election by 8 p.m. Friday. Either candidate could request a recount.
Historically, Vietnamese American candidates have done well with absentee ballots because activists in the immigrant community focus heavily on registering voters, especially senior citizens, urging them to use translated written materials and to send their choices by mail.
Do has twice served as former Supervisor Janet Nguyen's chief of staff and now could be in line to replace his old boss, who campaigned intensely for him in the Vietnamese-language media. Nguyen was elected to the state Senate last fall.
Do was elected to the Garden Grove City Council in 2008 and resigned in 2011.
Finishing third in Friday's election was Chris Phan with 7,857 votes, followed by Chuyen Van Nguyen with 1879 votes and Lupe Morfin-Moren with 834 votes.
anh.do@latimes.com
