In Irvine, legislative power rests in the hands of the seven-member city council. One of them is the mayor, who is an at-large member, meaning they are elected by all residents of the city.
This is Irvine’s first election since Measure D passed earlier this year. Previously the councilmembers, like the mayor, were voted into office by all residents — called at-large elections. Now, members will instead be elected only by residents of their own districts.
Measure D also expanded the number of seats on the council from four to six and divided the city into six corresponding districts with a new map. If you’re unsure of your district, the city has a handy search tool where you can enter your address to find out.
Make It Make Sense: Election 2024 Edition
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Because of term limits and the new measure:
- Voters in District 1 will elect a councilmember for a two-year term.
- Voters in districts 2, 3, and 4 will elect a councilmember for a four-year term.
- Councilmembers in districts 5 and 6 are not up for election this year.
What does the city council do?
- Establish city policy
- Enact and implement local ordinances
- Adopt operating and capital improvement program budgets
- Establish city policy
- Approve or deny the zoning and development of land
- Hire the City Manager and appoint certain city officials
Fast facts about Irvine
- The City Manager in Irvine is among the highest paid city managers in the county, and Irvine’s city budget is one of the biggest in the county, too.
- Irvine has a two consecutive term limit for all elected officials.
- The salary for all councilmembers (including the mayor) is about $10,000 per year, not including benefits. You can see more details about city employee salaries here.
What’s on the agenda for next term:
- The Gateway Preserve: The city is moving forward with a plan to convert an old asphalt factory into a nature preserve surrounded by over 1,200 new homes. The city bought the asphalt plant after years of complaints from nearby homeowners about fumes. The city plans to turn the land plot into miles of hiking trails with a potential visitor center.
- Affordable Housing: In a recent UC Irvine poll, over a third of respondents said they were considering leaving Orange County for a variety of reasons; but the biggest was the high cost of housing. Rent has been on the rise in Orange County at large and Irvine is one of the pricier areas, with the average 1-bedroom going for over $2,500 per month. This is sure to be a hot button issue for the next mayor and council as they consider future land zoning and development.
- Corruption: A recent federal corruption investigation, which looked into reports that Disneyland had an outsized influence on Anaheim’s city policy, also found that Irvine had failed to disclose all of the lobbyist work going on at city hall. (A former aide to Mayor Farrah Khan pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted that she had tried to bribe city councilmembers. Needless to say, tightening lobbying regulations will certainly be a focus for the next term.)
- The Great Park: Irvine recently broke ground on a $1 billion expansion of the Great Park area with priority projects such as a Veteran’s Memorial Park and food establishments. The current city council killed plans for the creation of a live music venue in partnership with Live Nation. However, it remains to be seen if a new council majority will bring additional changes to the Great Park project and pursue partnerships ended by the previous council.
- Climate change: The nation’s first all electric hospital is set to open in Irvine in 2025. The city is also exploring banning plastic takeout containers and going all electric in new construction, which puts Irvine at odds with a federal ruling, as federal law states only the U.S. government can set energy-efficiency standards for appliances.
The candidates
District 1
Melinda Liu
City of Irvine Finance Commissioner / Attorney
As Finance Commissioner, Liu oversaw Irvine’s $750 million dollar budget. Because of that experience, she says she has a proven track record of making sound financial decisions for the allocation of Irvine’s tax dollars. As an attorney and a volunteer court mediator, she handled restraining order and eviction disputes. She has a undergraduate degree in political science from UC Berkeley and law degree from Southwestern University.
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Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some do not have a campaign website and/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.
As a councilmember, Liu says she wants to create more housing for seniors and young professionals, work with firefighters and first responders to create a plan for protecting homes from wildfires, and invest in local schools. She’s also interested in expanding transportation options and supporting working parents with affordable childcare.
Liu said she has raised three children as a single mother and also cares for her aging parents.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: Liu4Irvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Michelle Johnson
City of Irvine Planning Commissioner
As planning commissioner, Johnson drafted the new district map that was passed as part of Measure D. Her focus is on preserving the city’s Master Plan, which balances development with green space and schools.
Johnson wants to oversee the build-out of 1,300 more homes in her district, create a plan to lower homeowner insurance premiums for wildfires, protect residents from the environmental effects of the Bowerman landfill expansion, build the first community center in District 1, expand greenspace with the Gateway Preserve and continue to fund local schools and police.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: Michelle4Irvine.com
John Park
Irvine Commissioner / business owner
Park has worked in leadership positions at several Fortune 1,000 companies and at least one tech start-up, and was previously the chairman of the Irvine Finance Commission. He is currently the founder and president of an advertising company in Orange County.
Park’s main priority is public safety. He plans to work with local police to lower retail theft and fentanyl-related crimes. He also wants to create E-bike safety standards and increase safety in schools. Other priorities include: lowering taxes, decreasing expenses for residents, wildfire prevention, environmental protection, increasing sustainable infrastructure, traffic management and further developing the Gateway Preserve.
Park immigrated to the U.S. from Korea at age eight and has lived in Irvine with his wife and three children for 24 years.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: JohnParkForIrvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Jeff Kitchen
Systems Engineer
Kitchen is originally from Kentucky. He has a background in electrical engineering and is interested in the research and development of advanced technologies. Inspired by his experience judging team robotics competitions at local schools, Kitchen is passionate about connecting students and young workers with more career opportunities in tech and science.
He also wants to increase opportunities for entry-level home ownership and implement new transportation technology, like more EV chargers, air-taxis and autonomous vehicles.
Fun fact: Kitchen’s first job after getting his engineering degree in Alabama was developing machines to increase the production of diapers at Proctor and Gamble during their “infamous diaper wars with Kimberly Clark.”
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: @KitchenForIrvine
Jackie Kan
Small Businessowner / Mother
Kan works for a medical device company, owns a small business, and volunteers with the Irvine Community Emergency Response Team and several organizations that support survivors of sex trafficking. She is an alum of UC Irvine and has lived in the city for 20 years, currently with her husband and two children.
Kan is interested in preserving open spaces like the Gateway Preserve, increasing public safety and improving childcare services. As a councilmember, she wants to “listen with empathy and work to uplift residents.”
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: JackieKan.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
District 2
William Go
Irvine Commissioner / business owner
Go says he owns a hospitality portfolio that has 30 worldwide locations. He also volunteers with Irvine’s aquatics program as a swim coach and is a member of the city’s transportation commission. Before his foray into local politics, he worked as a software engineer and product manager. He earned an undergraduate degree and an M.B.A from UC Irvine.
The key issues Go is running on include: completing the development of Great Park, keeping neighborhoods safe, increasing housing for mid-salary professionals and reducing traffic. He previously spent two years on the Great Park Task Force
Go was born in the Philippines and immigrated with his family to California as a child, where he was raised by a single mother. He and his wife have lived in Irvine for 20 years and are avid bike riders.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: WillGoForIrvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Parrisa Yazdani
City Commissioner / businesswoman
Yazdani, who is half Japanese and half Iranian, was raised by a single mother and moved to Orange County shortly after turning 18. She now has three children in local schools and runs a small business in the Woodbury Town Center. Yazdani says she led community efforts to form a Neighborhood Watch group after a string of robberies and petitioned the city to stop a permanent street closure that would have caused evacuation concerns. She also protested against a homeless encampment at Great Park in 2018 and was a member of the Great Park Task Force.
“I am not a career politician, but rather a passionate advocate for our community’s interests,” she says, explaining that when decisions affecting her neighborhood were being shaped by outside political forces, she “helped mobilize residents to ensure their voices cut through the special interests.” Yazdani’s main goals if elected councilmember are to keep the city safe by supporting Irvine police, ensure responsible development to protect quality of life, reduce traffic, and support local employers and small businesses.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: ParrisaForIrvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Gang Chen
Architect / author / businessman
Chen is an architect, real estate broker and a former member of Irvine’s Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, who emigrated from China to study at USC in 1990, where he earned a degree in landscape architecture. He is also an expert in green architecture and sustainable development, according to his campaign website.
Chen says that the quality of life in Irvine has gone downhill over the past few years, due to safety issues, housing prices and traffic. His vision is for Irvine to be the safest city in the nation with green spaces, nice architecture and a “relaxing family ranch feeling.” He also wants to lead the effort to re-evaluate and revamp the original Irvine Master Plan, to keep up with the city’s increasing population and new opportunities for sustainable growth.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: GangChenUSA.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Mohamed Kothermydeen
IT Service Manager
This candidate did not submit an official candidate statement, and no website could be found at the time of publication.
Jeff Starke
City of Irvine Finance Commissioner
Starke lives in Irvine with his wife and two children and has been active in the local district as a volunteer and former PTA member, calling himself a “PTA dad.” He’s also a small business owner. He says he is motivated to run for office because “the villages of our district have been underrepresented.”
His goals if elected councilmember include; growing sustainability, preserving Irvine’s schools, safe neighborhoods and open spaces, building Great Park (especially the retail portion of the project), and creating safer streets and sidewalks for pedestrians. He says Irvine “deserves a representative that is supporting our interests, not outside interests.”
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: JeffStarke.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
District 3
James Mai
Irvine Commissioner / businessman
Mai’s parents were refugees who came to America for a better life; he grew up in subsidized government housing and says he has known hunger. As an adult he created a management consulting firm, has founded several community-focused non-profit organizations, and has two children in the local school district. He is an Orange County Housing Commissioner, Irvine Commissioner and President / Chairman of the Irvine Community Alliance Fund.
Mai says he “believes in fostering an environment where every resident can access the resources and support they need to succeed, regardless of background.” His priorities include: public safety, affordability, education, fiscal responsibility, maintaining the Irvine Master Plan and supporting the city’s parks and green spaces.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: JamesMai.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Tom Chomyn
Irvine City Commissioner
Chomyn has a background in urban planning, tech sales and customer service — he spent 21 years working at a consumer electronics company and currently lives near Irvine High School with his wife and three children.
His priorities if elected the the council include: refurbishing and expanding the Heritage Park Library, make Walnut Trail into a pedestrian parkway, plan more trees throughout the district, improve local parks, and put more resources into community policing to increase public safety. He says he also wants to hold the Orange County Power Authority accountable for making “money at the expense of Irvine residents.”
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: Tom4Irvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
Jing Sun
Father / Irvine Commissioner
Sun emigrated to the U.S. 25 years ago to get his M.B.A. from UC Irvine. He currently lives in District 3 with his wife and two daughters. In January he was elected to chair the Irvine Community Services Commission, which he has served on for four years. In that position, he says he worked to improve the city’s parks, recreational facilities and cultural events, as well as working with the city council to allocate housing grants to low and moderate-income residents.
As councilmember Sun says he wants to promote affordable housing, make Irvine a leader in sustainability and support the expansion of the Gateway Preserve. As an avid marathoner, he also wants to bring a new half-marathon to Irvine to co-include with CicloIrvine. He says Irvine needs more (and better) dog parks as well.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: SunForIrvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
District 4
Mike Carroll
Irvine Councilmember, incumbent
Carroll owns a small business in Irvine, where he lives with his wife and two children. He has been a member of the city council for the past five years and is now seeking re-election. Carroll has previously served as president of the Vista Verde Foundation and an Irvine Parks Commissioner, in addition to sitting on the board of several local non-profits.
As councilmember he says he stopped the development of over 130 homes on a recreational site, helped establish the Gateway Preserve, helped rescued “the Great Park balloon from demise,” and allocated funding for local seniors and students.
If re-elected he says he will continue to support Irvine Police to insure public safety, reduce traffic, support public schools and improve local parks.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: MikeCarroll.org
- Endorsements: See full list here
Ayn Craciun
Nonprofit Director
Craciun is an environmental health advocate — she currently chairs Irvine’s Sustainability Commission and is the O.C. Policy Director for a nonprofit climate policy watchdog group. She says she is passionate about transparency and accountability when it comes to local climate legislation and was involved in founding the O.C. Power Authority, to introduce clean energy choices to the area.
She helped Irvine adopt an organic landscaping policy that was recognized by the E.P.A. and also helped launch a school bus program that she says improved traffic in the area by helping 50 students carpool to campus every day. As councilmember she says she will focus on reducing traffic, supporting local businesses, improving public safety, improving housing and expanding green spaces.
Craciun lives with her husband and two children and is an active parent at the local elementary school, where she was former PTA committee chair. “As a working mom, I understand the struggles many families face. I will ensure that Irvine remains a place where everyone can thrive,” she says in her candidate statement.
Go deeper:
- Official candidate statement
- Website: Ayn4Irvine.com
- Endorsements: See full list here
LAist's Yusra Farzan also contributed to this report.
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