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Farrah Khan

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Farrah Khan
Image of Farrah Khan
Prior offices
Irvine City Council

Mayor of Irvine
Successor: Larry Agran
Predecessor: Christina Shea

Elections and appointments
Last election

March 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

University of California, Davis, 1997

Personal
Profession
Executive
Contact

Farrah Khan was the Mayor of Irvine in California. She assumed office on December 8, 2020. She left office on December 10, 2024.

Khan ran for election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors to represent District 3 in California. She lost in the primary on March 5, 2024.

Khan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Municipal elections in Irvine are nonpartisan. Khan is a Democrat.[1][2]

Biography

Farrah Khan earned a B.A. in English literature from the University of California at Davis in 1997. Khan's career experience includes working as the executive director of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council, regulatory affairs manager of a biotech company, and founding First Drops.[3][4] She has served on the Irvine Community Services Commission, the Irvine Global Village Festival Steering Committee, the Community Emergency Response Team for the Irvine Police Department, Irvine Rotary Club, the Orange County Interfaith Network Board, and the Board of the Irvine Community Land Trust.[3][5]

Elections

2024

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2024)

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3

Incumbent Donald P. Wagner won election outright against Farrah Khan in the primary for Orange County Board of Supervisors District 3 on March 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Donald P. Wagner
Donald P. Wagner (Nonpartisan)
 
63.5
 
97,706
Image of Farrah Khan
Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
36.5
 
56,207

Total votes: 153,913
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Khan in this election.

2022

See also: Mayoral election in Irvine, California (2022)

General election

General election for Mayor of Irvine

Incumbent Farrah Khan defeated Branda Lin, Simon Moon, Katherine Daigle, and Tom Chomyn in the general election for Mayor of Irvine on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Farrah Khan
Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan)
 
37.8
 
29,628
Image of Branda Lin
Branda Lin (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
27.5
 
21,560
Image of Simon Moon
Simon Moon (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
18.9
 
14,834
Image of Katherine Daigle
Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan)
 
9.2
 
7,184
Image of Tom Chomyn
Tom Chomyn (Nonpartisan)
 
6.5
 
5,129

Total votes: 78,335
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Mayoral election in Irvine, California (2020)

General election

General election for Mayor of Irvine

Farrah Khan defeated incumbent Christina Shea, Luis Huang, and Katherine Daigle in the general election for Mayor of Irvine on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Farrah Khan
Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
47.6
 
56,304
Image of Christina Shea
Christina Shea (Nonpartisan)
 
36.1
 
42,738
Image of Luis Huang
Luis Huang (Nonpartisan) Candidate Connection
 
8.2
 
9,684
Image of Katherine Daigle
Katherine Daigle (Nonpartisan)
 
8.2
 
9,654

Total votes: 118,380
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Khan's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

2018

See also: Municipal elections in Irvine, California (2018)

General election

General election for Irvine City Council (2 seats)

The following candidates ran in the general election for Irvine City Council on November 6, 2018.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Farrah Khan
Farrah Khan (Nonpartisan)
 
15.5
 
23,085
Image of Anthony Kuo
Anthony Kuo (Nonpartisan)
 
14.2
 
21,071
Carrie O'Malley (Nonpartisan)
 
13.0
 
19,267
Lauren Johnson-Norris (Nonpartisan)
 
11.5
 
17,147
Image of Kev Abazajian
Kev Abazajian (Nonpartisan)
 
11.4
 
16,889
Frank McGill (Nonpartisan)
 
8.3
 
12,313
Jaci Woods (Nonpartisan)
 
6.8
 
10,092
Image of Mark Newgent
Mark Newgent (Nonpartisan)
 
5.4
 
8,077
Image of John Park
John Park (Nonpartisan)
 
4.6
 
6,877
Image of Gang Chen
Gang Chen (Nonpartisan)
 
3.9
 
5,835
Image of Lee Sun
Lee Sun (Nonpartisan)
 
3.7
 
5,462
David Chey (Nonpartisan)
 
1.8
 
2,624

Total votes: 148,739
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

See also: Municipal elections in Irvine, California (2016)

The city of Irvine, California, held elections for mayor and city council on November 8, 2016. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was in August 2016. Two of the four city council seats were up for election.[6] The following candidates ran in the Irvine City Council general election.[7]

Irvine City Council, General Election, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Christina Shea Incumbent 20.15% 28,072
Green check mark transparent.png Melissa Fox 17.25% 24,023
Anthony Kuo 15.29% 21,301
Farrah Khan 11.84% 16,487
Anila Ali 7.19% 10,011
Shiva Farivar 7.04% 9,799
Dale Cheema 6.35% 8,844
Courtney Santos 4.85% 6,758
Matthew Ehorn 3.58% 4,988
Hyunjoung Ahn 3.34% 4,651
Ian Daelucian 3.12% 4,349
Total Votes 139,283
Source: Orange County Elections, "Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 2016

Endorsements

Khan received endorsements from the following in 2016:

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Farrah Khan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Khan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I am currently serving my second term as the elected Mayor in the City of Irvine. I was first elected as Councilmember in 2018. My professional background includes serving 9 years as a Regulatory Affairs Manager for a biotech company, 20 years in small business and 5 years as the Executive Director of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council. My family moved to Irvine in 2004, and I have been a tireless advocate for the community since then.

As Councilmember and Mayor, I focused on promoting growth and prosperity for the city, working hard to create a welcoming environment for businesses and individuals alike. I navigated our city out of the pandemic by bringing the community and businesses together and working with our local hospitals. I have also initiated many programs on housing, transportation, health/wellness, environmental sustainability, and public safety.

I’m running for OC Supervisor in District 3 with a contrast in values. I have a proven record serving as the City of Irvine’s Councilmember and 2-term Mayor, standing up for our communities, creating access to services, and ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard. ​

  • As Supervisor, my priorities will include: Homelessness: Address and allocate resources based on the needs of individual cities, like housing with support services and mental health/substance abuse programs. And create an Eviction Diversion program like the one I initiated in Irvine to help keep families in their homes when facing loss of job or health emergencies. Affordable Housing Initiative: Develop affordable housing programs that cater to diverse housing needs, including workforce housing, transitional housing, senior housing and supportive housing, to ensure stable living conditions for all residents. Public Health Access: Expand access to quality healthcare services for all residents, regardless of their socio-economic background
  • Public Safety: Work to implement programs and services to address the variety of issues faced by cities in District 3, provide resources and new technologies to keep our communities safe, and continue towards building trust, engagement, and cooperation between law enforcement and residents. Open Space Protection: The Third District includes important parks, wild lands and open space reserves that deserve enhanced protection and management. Equity in Resource Allocation: Ensure fair distribution of resources and services across all communities in Orange County, addressing historical disparities and focusing on the upliftment of under-resourced cities and neighborhoods.
  • Disaster Preparedness: Establish comprehensive wildfire protection strategies by investing in early detection systems, enhancing firefighting capabilities, and promoting community education on evacuation plans and fire-safe practices. Green Infrastructure: Integrate sustainable practices into urban planning, investing in green spaces, renewable energy projects, and water conservation initiatives to create a more environmentally friendly and resilient county. Small Business Support: Foster entrepreneurship, mentorship, and streamlined regulatory processes to support the growth of local businesses. Transportation Equity: Improve public transportation options, enhancing mobility & connectivity while prioritizing pedestrian/cyclist safety.
I am very passionate about creating policies that actually benefit the quality of life of our residents, workers, and businesses. This comes from having difficult conversations, being open to hearing opposing views, and most importantly, delivering on promises. I have been able to build relationships with people in our city to state and federal government leaders. This has helped me bring resources and support into our city, which I hope to do at the county level as well.
Democratic Party of OC

OC Labor Federation
Women in Leadership
Planned Parenthood
Sierra Club
OC League of Conservation Voters
Honor PAC
National Union of Healthcare Workers
United Food and Commercial Workers
United Domestic Workers
Larry Agran, Vice Mayor Irvine
Ashleigh Aitken, Mayor Anaheim
Letitia Clark, Mayor Pro Tem Tustin
Becky Gomez, Councilmember Tustin
Allyson Damikolas, Tustin Unified School Board Member
Kris Erickson, Orange Unified School Board Member
Andrea Yamasaki, Orange Unified School Board Member

Barbara Schulman, Saddleback Valley School Board Member

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

Farrah Khan did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2020

Candidate Connection

Farrah Khan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Khan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Farrah N. Khan was elected to the Irvine City Council in 2018 and is a business consultant and has been running a restaurant business for 15 years. She was previously the Executive Director of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council and a Regulatory Affairs Manager for the biotech firm Chiron Corporation.

She currently serves as the Chair of the OC Great Park Board, the Chair of the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee, as well as on the Board of the Irvine Community Land Trust, the Irvine Unified School District Liaison Committee, and the OC Mosquito and Vector Control District.

Khan has served on the Irvine Community Services Commission, the Irvine Global Village Festival Steering Committee, the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Rotary Club and the Orange County Interfaith Network Board. She was also president of her sons' elementary school Parent Teacher Association and a member of their middle school Parent-Teacher Association Board and high school School Site Council.

In 2015, Khan was recognized for her community service with a Community Service Leader Award by the OC Human Relations Commission. This year, she was named Woman of the Year by Congressman Lou Correa.
  • I look forward to continuing to support our residents and businesses through this pandemic and the economic crisis that has followed by working with our County and State representatives and securing necessary funds.
  • With so much going on from the national to the local level, I want to assure our community that their health and safety is of the utmost importance.
  • I plan on working towards initiating new technology and resources to cut our costs and generate additional revenue for our city. It is vital that we work towards making our city environmentally and economically sustainable.
My commitment to placing residents first is what I have based my decisions on as a Councilmember. And I have committed to keeping the Council a place of respect, honesty, and integrity, by working with all my Council colleagues, compromising where necessary to do what's best for our community. My votes are a testament to the work I have done to keep our city fiscally sound, to keep our commitment to public education funding, and standing up for our communities when they need us to. I initiated Resolutions in support of our Chinese and Asian American communities, our Black community, and our LGBTQ community. I initiated the ban on public smoking to improve the quality of air we breathe and initiated the Climate Action Plan. And I will continue to work for each and every member of our city to maintain the quality of life, programs and services that brought us all here.
I have always found dialogue and open communication to be one of the most powerful tools in public office. With these tools, one can bring people together, build bridges and uplift communities. It is important to know that the seat you hold is representing the hundreds of thousands of people who have expectations of you to be their representative, their voice.
I believe the core responsibilities of being a mayor are to lead with respect, honesty and integrity. To be a voice of the people by listening to their concerns and taking the necessary actions.
A mayor is not only a leader in his or her city, but the voice of the city's residents and businesses. To me, this means addressing our current and future needs responsibly and effectively, while holding on to a vision for a world-class city that is a model for innovation, sustainability and civic engagement. And making a genuine effort to serve the public.
For me, the most important thing a mayor can do is provide leadership that looks ahead, not in the past. One that takes initiative on matters and doesn't wait until the public demands it or when it's popular.
I love that Irvine is one of the most diverse cities in the state that celebrates its diversity through food, art, music and theater. I am thankful for our Master Planned development that has integrated villages throughout our city, bringing communities together in our many parks and open spaces.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2016

In her 2016 candidate statement of qualifications, Khan listed the following priorities:

I’m dedicated to bring bipartisan support to issues and find common sense solutions while proactively looking for ways to make Irvine a monumental city. It’s time our leadership reflected our city: Respect, Cooperation and Integrity.

As your representative on Irvine City Council, I will:

Keep public safety a top priority, provide our police department with the resources they need to protect us and involve more neighborhoods in CERT.
Provide leadership on smart and balanced growth, strategic infrastructure projects, reduction of traffic congestion and affordability for our seniors and young families.
Bring a new era of transparency regarding budgetary decisions and the development of the Great Park and Veteran’s Cemetery.
Innovate in the delivery of high quality city services to retain our family owned businesses and become environmentally sustainable.[13][15]

See also


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
Christina Shea
Mayor of Irvine
2020-2024
Succeeded by
Larry Agran
Preceded by
-
Irvine City Council
2018-2020
Succeeded by
-