A stubborn pocket of resistance to the resistance

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — California has dug in at the front lines of the resistance to President Donald Trump, suing to overturn his environmental policies, passing legislation to hamstring his immigration enforcement and marching in mass demonstrations of defiance.

Then there is Orange County, a stubborn redoubt of conservatism that keeps defying prognostications that 80 years of Republican dominance will come to an end.

Democrats claimed gains in last week’s statewide primary, securing slots in the November election for three crucial House seats that represent Orange County.

But Republicans also found some assurances. Their voters turned out in greater numbers. Republican House candidates, overall, garnered more votes than their Democratic counterparts, providing conservatives hope that the county will serve as a shore break to the blue wave many of them fear is coming in the general election.

Conservative views, although fading, remain strong across this rectangle of Pacific beachfront and suburban sprawl southeast of Los Angeles.

At least 10 Orange County cities have sided with the Trump administration in its fight with California over a law that forbids state and local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration agents in many deportation cases.

The Orange County sheriff has flouted the state by posting the dates and times when inmates will be released, in effect creating a tip sheet for federal officials so they can more easily find unauthorized immigrants they deem high-risk enough to deport.

And in a show of solidarity that would