Karl Seckel

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Karl Seckel

Nonpartisan

Municipal Water District of Orange County District 4

Tenure

2020 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

4

Predecessor

Joan Finnegan

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Paint Branch High School, Burtonsville, Maryland

Graduate

University of Maryland, 1978

Personal

Birthplace

District of Columbia

Religion

Non-Denominational

Profession

Civil engineer

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

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Karl Seckel is a member of the Municipal Water District of Orange County in California, representing District 4. He assumed office on December 4, 2020. His current term ends on December 1, 2028.

Seckel ran for re-election to the Municipal Water District of Orange County to represent District 4 in California. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Karl Seckel was born in Washington, D.C. He earned a high school diploma from Paint Branch High School and a graduate degree from the University of Maryland in 1978. His career experience includes working as a civil engineer. He has been affiliated with ASCE, AWWA, and the Orange County Water Association.

Elections

2024

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

General election

General election for Municipal Water District of Orange County District 4

Incumbent Karl Seckel defeated Pano Frousiakis in the general election for Municipal Water District of Orange County District 4 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karl Seckel (Nonpartisan)	60.9	83,879
		Pano Frousiakis (Nonpartisan)	39.1	53,780

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 137,659
= 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 Seckel's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Seckel in this election.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Orange County, California (2020)

General election

General election for Municipal Water District of Orange County District 4

Karl Seckel defeated Stacy Lynne Taylor, Allan Mansoor, Christopher Ganiere, and Dana Reed in the general election for Municipal Water District of Orange County District 4 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karl Seckel (Nonpartisan)	40.6	59,829
		Stacy Lynne Taylor (Nonpartisan)	31.6	46,619
		Allan Mansoor (Nonpartisan)	21.1	31,104
	Submit photo	Christopher Ganiere (Nonpartisan)	4.7	6,978
	Submit photo	Dana Reed (Nonpartisan)	1.9	2,776

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 147,306
= 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.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the incumbent Division 4 director at Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), and I am running for re-election. With your vote, I hope to extend my 40+ years of service to the water industry for the benefit of all Orange County water users. As lead engineer for 37 years at MWDOC, I worked successfully with every water provider in Orange County. After retirement I was elected to the MWDOC Board, which subsequently appointed me to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MET) Board. In my elected position as MWDOC Director I represent areas of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach. In my appointed position to the MET Board, I work to represent the 19 million residents and $1.7 trillion Southern California economy, including Orange County. As the agency primarily responsible for importing water to Southern California, the MET Board plays a critical role in the development of statewide water policy. I am committed to ongoing investments in water that will ensure the long-term reliability of our water supply while maintaining low water rates and healthy water quality. It is a big job for which my background and expertise will continue to serve you well. www.Karlforwater.com

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?

• I want to ensure that citizens of Orange County and Southern California have a reliable water supply. This has become more difficult due to the influence of climate change.
• Our water should be high-quality and the citizens should trust the quality of water from the tap.
• I will be a good steward of the funding provided by the public via water bills and ensure only smart investments are made.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Water, water resources, protection of the environment to the degree we can, efficient use of water/water conservation, planning in the context of climate change, ensuring a reliable supply of water, water recycling and direct potable water resuse.

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

Water is unique in that we cannot live without it. It allows us to live, work and play in California which I believe is a wonderful place. It also underpins the $1.7 trillion economy in Southern California and allows us to earn a decent living. It is unfortunate, however, that there are still about 1 million residents in California that cannot drink the water from their taps. It is also unfortunate that the cost of water is difficult for a large portion of the public to afford. The State as a whole needs to do better.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Many people have helped me along the way. I have always looked up to people that seem to have a really good understanding of whatever their area of expertise is. It is always fascinating to find how somebody got into their specific field of work.

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

Not necessarily about my political philosophy, but there are many great books that document the role water played in the development of agriculture in California and then the urban development. Some tell a positive story while others tell stories of difficulty of trying to make a go of farming in California. California has one of the largest water systems in the world. The Dreamt Land by Mark Arax, Cadillac Desert by Marc Reisner, Water and Power by William Kahrl, Beyond Chinatown: The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California by Steven Erie, are some.

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

That they can be trusted to make good ethical decisions while considering a multitude of policy positions that work for the whole of Orange County and Southern California.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I like helping to solve problems, I like helping people, I go out of my way to people understand technical and policy issues better.

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

General knowledge of water systems and how they work.
Specifically, regarding Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC), I believe that experience and leadership count. I worked at MWDOC for 37 years before being elected. I have worked with every water agency in Orange County and many throughout Southern California. MWDOC is a wholesale agency that serves 27 agencies, so you have to understand the needs of the 27 agencies and look for opportunities to help them out.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I worked hard, was a good person to all I encountered and that I was helpful.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Kennedy Nixon election, the first space shots and getting under our desks in case of nuclear war. The first moon landing.

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

I graduated with a Civil Engineering degree (both a B.S. and an M.S.) and I started with a consulting civil engineering company in Orange County right out of college and I stayed there for 6 years.

What is your favorite book? Why?

I actually love to read historical novels, mostly about WWII and what was going on in Europe.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain Jack Sparrow

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

99 Luftballons after I found out what it was about and Sweet Jane by Lou Reed.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Writing - I am an ok technical writer, but I feel my ability to express myself in writing and to some degree verbally has been challenged because my training in the area of writing was not very good.

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

Water agencies typically have very broad powers. An amendment to the constitution in California known as proposition 218 requires water agencies to charge for water specifically by the proportional benefit received by a property and property owners have an ability to protest rate increases when notices are provided. This sounds like a good thing, but it restricts agencies from using life-line rates or low-income rate assistance programs.

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

Experience in government or politics would be useful, but I believe that background in how water agencies work is more beneficial.

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

Having an understanding of how water works in California.

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

I am elected by residents of Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach, about 300,000 people, but my agency helps provide water and other services for 3.2 million in Orange County and 19 million in Southern California - it entails quite a large endeavor and it can be quite humbling at times.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I love jokes, but I cannot remember them!

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Orange County League of Conservation Voters, the OC Huddle Group and the Women for American Values and Ethics (WAVE) and many from the water industry in Orange County.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Political office holders and public agencies must be 100% transparent in how they conduct business, how they report business and how they inform the public. This is what helps to build trust.

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.

2020

Karl Seckel did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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