Jeff Starke

Jeff Starke ran for election to the Irvine City Council to represent District 2 in California. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Jeff Starke was born in New Jersey. He gradudated from Morristown High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Lafayette College. His career experience includes working as an entrepreneur.^[1]

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Irvine City Council District 2

William Go defeated Jeff Starke, Gang Chen, Parrisa Yazdani, and Mohamed Kothermydeen in the general election for Irvine City Council District 2 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		William Go (Nonpartisan)	30.9	5,352
		Jeff Starke (Nonpartisan)	25.7	4,441
		Gang Chen (Nonpartisan)	20.9	3,624
		Parrisa Yazdani (Nonpartisan)	18.5	3,199
	Submit photo	Mohamed Kothermydeen (Nonpartisan)	4.0	689

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,305
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Starke in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

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

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am originally from New Jersey. My wife, Susan, and I moved from Michigan to Irvine in 2014. Our two children attend Jeffrey Trail Middle School and Portola High School. I have been very involved with the Cypress Village Elementary PTA, serving on the board for four years. I enjoy hiking in our open space and cooking for family and friends when I am is not ferrying my kids around the city.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Build the Great Park: I will ensure the promise of the Great Park is realized. Our district needs to have the retail center completed in the Great Park. We also need to continue progressing on the many planned amenities and attractions.
Safer streets: To reduce traffic, we must make our streets safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. Building more protected bike lanes can help give residents the comfort they need to use their bikes more and move bicycles off our sidewalks. Unsafe riding needs to be addressed to reduce the rising number of injuries.
Fix Sand Canyon: We have 500 garbage trucks daily on Sand Canyon. They need to be rerouted to use the Toll Roads. The intersection of Sand Canyon and the 5 is dangerous. Marine Way needs to be realigned. This will allow us to properly align the lanes of traffic and give people exiting the Great Park on Marine Way a quicker route.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am excited to work on policies that make Irvine’s roads and sidewalks a safer place for us all. I am committed to tackling traffic issues, especially around schools and major roadways. I am going to advocate for additional bus routes for students, safer bike lanes, and pedestrian safety measures.
Public safety is another important issue for me. I will work to ensure law enforcement has the resources necessary to keep Irvine one of the safest cities in the U.S. We also need to focuses on crime prevention strategies to address issues like, porch theft and managing e-bike safety.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

A Councilmember should be the most accessible elected person. We should be the first stop for the concerns and suggestions of the residents. We should be sharing this feedback with our county and state representatives to make sure they know how the residents of our district and city feel about proposed legislation. This is critical to make sure our residents feel seen and heard.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

In college I had a professor, Donald L. Miller, that wrote a book called, City of the Century, The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America. It traced Chicago’s growth from a fur trading post into the incredible city it is today. It has always been interesting to me how societies and cities grow and change over time. The course included material from Lewis Mumford.

The Hill We Climb, an Inaugural Poem for the Country by Amanda Gorman is a great summation of how I feel about our nation and the direction we can take it if we work towards justice for all.

Neighborhood Defenders by Katherine Levine Einstein, David M. Glick and Maxwell Palmer uses date to show how land use policy has greatly reduced our ability to build enough housing for everyone. I think people’s access to housing is the lynchpin to creating a fair and more equitable society.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

For elected officials, honesty, empathy, and collaboration are not just important; they are essential. These qualities are the foundation of trust in the community. Without them, we cannot effectively serve our constituents.

Elected officials must grasp the perspectives and worries of diverse groups on a wide range of issues. Empathy with these specific concerns is crucial to effectively addressing the needs of our residents.

There will be six Councilmembers and a Mayor. We will need to work together to craft the policies and budget that best serves the people of Irvine. Most voters want their elected officials to find common ground and solve problems, not argue or posture.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Elected officials need to be accessible to their constituents. We are elected to serve our community. The community's concerns and the direction they want the city to go should drive the City Council’s agenda. For us to know these concerns, we need to be in contact with our residents.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I cannot remember when I started, but I always did odd jobs around the neighborhood; shoveling snow or pulling weeds. My first w-2 job at 16 was as a lifeguard at the YMCA pool. I worked as a lifeguard at the YMCA and the town's pool for a couple years and then did it for a couple summers at the Jersey shore.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

I am unaware of any little-known powers and responsibilities.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

A Councilmember is often the starting point for involvement in politics. I think everyone brings their work and personal experience to the job. It is essential not to have elected officials who are only from certain fields or types of work. Electing officials with various experiences will create better outcomes for our decisions.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

We must work together to find the correct solutions for our city's needs. An important skill will be the willingness to listen to others with different points of view. The other side of listening is communicating your position to other Councilmembers. You will need to find common ground with various Councilmembers for different issues, so you need to be able to work with everyone.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the local government?

This office is crucial because it serves as the bridge between residents and city workers. We rely on hundreds of people to ensure the city runs smoothly. As Councilmembers, we are the city's public face, helping residents navigate the bureaucracy and ensuring city services are delivered as intended and needed.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Making sure that hard-earned tax dollars are spent wisely and productively is one of the most critical responsibilities of an elected official. We need to work to ensure there is not even the suggestion that accepting donations could influence how we vote. We as elected officials sought this position, we should be held to a higher standard. During my campaign, I have turned down donations from people and organizations that will have business before the City Council. I would never want someone to think access to me or how I vote is influenced by money.

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.

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Candidate

Irvine City Council District 2

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 27, 2024

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 27, 2024

[1]

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Jeff Starke

Contents

Biography

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Irvine City Council District 2

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

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