Michael Elliott

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Michael Elliott

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

University of California-Irvine

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Navy

Personal

Profession

Real-time software engineer

Contact

Campaign website

Michael Elliott ran for election to the Orange County Water District to represent District 6 in California. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Elliott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Michael Elliott obtained a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a master's degree from Edinburgh University, in Edinburgh, Scotland. His professional experience includes working as a real-time software engineer. Elliott joined the U.S. Navy in 2020.

Elections

2020

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

General election

General election for Orange County Water District District 6

Incumbent Cathy Green defeated Michael Elliott in the general election for Orange County Water District District 6 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Cathy Green (Nonpartisan)	60.4	66,290
		Michael Elliott (Nonpartisan)	39.6	43,506

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 109,796
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

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

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Michael Elliott completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Elliott'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 currently a member of the Citizens Infrastructure Advisory Board for the City of Huntington Beach, where I have been a resident for 30 of the past 50 years. Huntington Beach has the distinction of being the first place I personally chose to live, all previous choices being made by my parents or the US Navy.

I am a combat veteran - Mobile Riverine Force and Naval Advisory Group (Vietnam). My time in the US Navy provided me with the GI Bill for education, which I used to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science from UCI and a Master of Science in Computer Systems Engineering from Edinburgh University (Scotland).

My professional life has been as a Software Engineer, primarily in the field of computerized process control - including the wastewater treatment plant for the City of Hobbs, NM - and embedded systems, primarily for aircraft control. My primary focus in computer software has been security- and safety-critical software including having been a contributing author to two international standards for safety-critical aircraft software, as well as three international standards for security-critical software prepared for the FAA and EASA.

I have a wife, Ginger, and a daughter Keili - who currently lives and works in San Francisco. I have lived and worked in Spain (Torrejón de Ardoz) and Scotland (Edinburgh) as well as various countries in the Western Pacific during my time in the US Navy.

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?

• Do everything practical to protect the OCWD administered aquifer from seawater intrusion
• Encourage the reassessment of the current Poseidon project, especially its impact on the environment and cost to rate payers
• Find ways of minimizing water leakage from residential property

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Do everything possible to protect the OCWD administered aquifer from seawater intrusion. If we increase the effectiveness of the seawater intrusion barrier - most likely by way of additional fresh water injection wells - we should be able to draw thee times the current maximum of water from the aquifer in times of need.

Protect and enhance as necessary the Ground Water Replenishment System (GWRS). This is the District's crown jewel - the best in the world - and it needs to be not only maintained and expanded (currently in progress) but promoted worldwide so that others can follow our lead.

Find ways of minimizing water leakage from residential property. We will undoubtedly see a return to drought conditions in our lifetime, with the inevitable restrictions on residential irrigation. However, one leaky toilet in a home can waste as much as 2700 gallons of water per day. This level of water use would greatly overwhelm any savings due to reduced irrigation. While OCWD, as a water wholesaler, cannot implement this on a house by house basis, it can provide leadership in this and tools for individual water districts and cities to implement such leak detection and subsequent notification of rate payers in a timely manner.

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

The directorship of the Orange County Water District makes policy which affects over two million residents of Orange County. Orange County Water District maintains and distributes water from the aquifer under much of northern OC. This water is the least expensive of all water currently being used by Orange County residents. As we all know, water is of vital importance and providing it in a cost-effective manner is a solemn trust.

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

Primarily ethics. Ethics provide accountability between the public and their elected officials. Having those elected officials adhere to a code of ethics ensures that the public receives what it needs in a fair manner. It also gives the directorship guidelines for integrity in their operations. That integrity, in turn, helps foster the trust of the community. By creating this atmosphere of trust, the directorship helps the public understand that they are working with their best interests in mind.

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

Probably my first real job was in the US Navy. Although theoretically I was an Electronics Technician, the only work I actually did involving electronics was the repair of a few multimeters and helping to dismount and remount river boat radars. During my last couple of years in the Navy I became the programmer on board the USS Piedmont (AD-17). Total time in the Navy: 1409 days.

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

Yes, but we already have a majority of the directorship having been either city council members or city council appointees. What I want to see is a more balanced directorship with more engineering knowledge available for decision making.

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

Deep knowledge of computer process control, the safety and security aspects of software systems and the potential impact it can have on the lives and livelihoods of the residents of Orange County.

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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