Municipal elections in Irvine, California (2016)

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2016 Irvine elections
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Election dates
Filing deadline: N/A
General election: November 8, 2016
Election stats
Offices up: Mayor and city council
Total seats up: 3
Other municipal elections
U.S. municipal elections, 2016
Irvine held elections for mayor and two seats on the city council on November 8, 2016. Mayor Steven Choi didn't run for re-election, opting instead for a bid for the California State Assembly seat vacated by term-limited Assemblyman Don Wagner (R-District 68).[1] Councilwoman Christina Shea, who served two terms as mayor and was serving her fourth nonconsecutive term as a city councilmember, ran for another term on the city council.[2] Councilwoman Beth Krom, who was first elected to the city council in 2000 and served as mayor from 2004 to 2008, retired from the council for personal reasons.[3]


Mayoral and city council elections in Irvine are officially nonpartisan, but officeholders' partisan allegiances are known by the public. Republicans picked up a majority on the city council in 2012, following 12 years of Democratic leadership.[4] They assumed control partly on the strength of voter dissatisfaction with the Democratic-led city council's handling of the Orange County Great Park project.[5] Learn more about the development of the Great Park and other issues Irvine faced by clicking here.


Term-limited Assemblyman Wagner ran for mayor in 2016. He faced four opponents, including former mayoral candidate and former Councilwoman Mary Ann Gaido and former mayoral and Assembly candidate Katherine Daigle, in the open mayoral race. Eleven candidates, including Shea, former Assembly candidate Anila Ali, former city council candidate Shiva Farivar, and former city council and Assembly candidate Melissa Fox, vied for the two councilmember seats.

The two city councilmembers who were not up for election in 2016, Councilman Jeffrey Lalloway and Councilwoman Lynn Schott, were both Republicans.[6][7] So, Republicans had to win just one of the three municipal races in November to keep their majority on the city council.

Elections

General election

Mayor

Note: Although elections in Irvine are nonpartisan, Ballotpedia identified the partisan affiliation of the candidates in this race for informational purposes.
☐ Gang Chen Republican Party
☐ David Chey
☐ Katherine Daigle Republican Party
☐ Mary Ann Gaido Democratic Party
☑ Don Wagner Republican Party

City council

☐ Hyunjoung "Genii" Ahn Republican Party
☐ Anila Ali Democratic Party
☐ Dale Cheema Republican Party
☐ Ian Daelucian Green Party
☐ Matthew Ehorn
☐ Shiva Farivar Democratic Party
☑ Melissa Fox Democratic Party
☐ Farrah Khan Democratic Party
☐ Anthony Kuo Republican Party
☐ Courtney Santos Libertarian Party
☑ Christina Shea (i) Republican Party

Results

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.[8] Don Wagner defeated Mary Ann Gaido, Gang Chen, Katherine Daigle, and David Chey in the Mayor of Irvine general election.[9]
Mayor of Irvine, General Election, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Don Wagner 37.69% 30,002
Mary Ann Gaido 33.01% 26,278
Gang Chen 14.84% 11,816
Katherine Daigle 10.43% 8,299
David Chey 4.03% 3,206
Total Votes 79,601
Source: Orange County Elections, "Official Results for Election," accessed December 7, 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.[10] The following candidates ran in the Irvine City Council general election.[9]
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

Ballot measures

See also: Orange County, California ballot measures

November 8, 2016

Ballotpedia did not cover any measures in this jurisdiction on November 8, 2016.

Campaign finance

Irvine municipal campaign finance summaries, 2016 calendar year through October 22, 2016[11]
Race Candidate Contributions Expenditures Cash Debt
Mayor Gang Chen $10,183.45 $16,753.32 $8,111.49 $0.00
Mayor David Chey NA NA NA NA
Mayor Katherine Daigle NA NA NA NA
Mayor Mary Ann Gaido $91,896.00 $73,032.93 $29,054.04 $10,134.41
Mayor Don Wagner $23,308.00 $11,177.02 $12,130.98 $0.00
City Council Hyunjoung "Genii" Ahn $26,297.00 $21,157.32 $5,139.68 $7,500.00
City Council Anila Ali $37,000.94 $35,733.04 $1,267.90 $25,366.94
City Council Dale Cheema $166,513.00 $123,913.59 $42,599.41 $155,100.00
City Council Ian Daelucian $2,824.97 $2,549.00 $275.97 $1,680.00
City Council Matthew Ehorn* NA $2,815 $185 NA
City Council Shiva Farivar $29,387.00 $47,781.24 $4,832.80 $11,496.78
City Council Melissa Fox $58,363.42 $46,450.87 $11,745.75 $6,534.26
City Council Farrah Khan $35,038.14 $48,545.61 $6,333.28 $7,805.46
City Council Anthony Kuo $35,022.00 $44,674.43 $17,587.67 $0.00
City Council Courtney Santos NA NA NA NA
City Council Christina Shea (i) $28,297.00 $29,707.88 $5,409.71 $0.00
*Summary covers the 2016 calendar year through September 24, 2016.

BP-Initials-UPDATED.png The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Endorsements

Irvine municipal candidate endorsements, 2016
Race Democratic Party of Orange County[12] Republican Party of Orange County[13]
Mayor Mary Ann Gaido Don Wagner
City Council Melissa Fox
Farrah Khan 		Anthony Kuo
Christina Shea (i)

Issues

The Orange County Great Park

Orange County Great Park

In 2002, Orange County voters approved a proposal to convert the decommissioned Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in Irvine into a park. The Orange County Great Park was envisioned as a rival to San Diego's Balboa Park and New York's Central Park. However, after 10 years and more than $200 million, the sports fields, museums, cultural centers, and botanical gardens proposed by park planners had yet to materialize.[14]

Republicans capitalized on voter frustration with the park's progress in the 2012 election.[5] Republican Choi defeated Democratic Councilman—and public face of the Great Park—Larry Agran for the mayorship.[15][16] Republican Shea, who had criticized Agran's leadership on the Great Park during her previous terms in office, picked up the open councilmember seat to rejoin the city council.[15][17] Choi and Shea combined with sitting GOP Councilman Lalloway for the first Republican city council majority since Democrats assumed control of the council in 2000.[4]

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Great Park's problems were due partly to factors outside the city council's control, such as the national financial crisis of 2008 and the state's elimination of community redevelopment agencies in 2011.[18][19] But Republicans claimed the Democratic-led city council had also mismanaged the project. Shortly after Choi and Shea assumed office, the city council's new Republican majority pushed for changes to park oversight, including elimination of four independent seats on the park's board of directors and a forensic audit of park spending.[20] The audit found evidence of mismanagement of park funds, although it generated controversy of its own when a state review identified problems with the handling of the audit process.[21][22][23]

Facing a funding shortfall, the Republican-led city council also took a new approach to developing the park.[24] In November 2013, Choi, Lalloway, and Shea voted to turn development of 688 of the park's approximately 1,300 acres over to private development company FivePoint Communities. FivePoint offered to build a sports park, golf course, wildlife corridor, and canyon in exchange for an ordinance permitting construction of 4,606 housing units on park-adjacent land. Democratic Councilmembers Agran and Krom opposed the FivePoint proposal.[25][26]

Plans for the park acreage retained by the city had not yet been finalized by the 2016 election. One question mark was the fate of a proposed veterans cemetery. The cemetery was included in early park plans but faced resistance from nearby homeowners. In April 2016, the city council rejected a proposal to swap the parkland where the cemetery was slated to be built for private land owned by FivePoint and relocate the cemetery to the new site. Shea, who had championed the land swap, left the city council meeting without voting following a heated debate. Lalloway and Schott voted with Krom against the exchange.[27]

The 2016 mayoral candidates staked out different positions on the land swap.

Irvine mayoral candidates' positions on the veterans cemetery land swap[28]
Supported Opposed
Gang Chen (R) Katherine Daigle (R)
Don Wagner (R) Mary Ann Gaido (D)

Growth and development

Experts predicted in 2012 that Irvine would grow to 256,300 residents by 2020, but it had already exceeded that mark by 2015.[29] Irvine was the fastest growing city in California between 2010 and 2015, growing from 211,906 residents to 256,927.[30] Commuters added another 90,000 people to the city's roads and public transit.[31]

Irvine's rapid population growth contributed to traffic congestion and rising housing costs. Almost three-fifths of respondents to a 2016 city survey characterized traffic as a "Daily annoyance" or a "Big problem," and a majority traced the congestion to "Residential traffic from increasing population."[32] The Irvine area saw the largest average monthly rent increase in Orange County between 2015 and 2016, jumping by 6 percent to $1,866.[33]

Congestion, housing affordability, and other development-related issues featured prominently in the city's 2016 municipal races. According to California City News, Irvine Democrats tended to favor a "slow-growth" approach to development while Republicans were more open to faster expansion.[5] The table below summarizes some of the policies the 2016 mayoral candidates proposed for handling growth, development, and related issues in Irvine.

Irvine mayoral candidates' development policy proposals
Candidate Policy proposals
Gang Chen (R)
  • Encourage businesses to offer flexible work schedules[28]
  • Reopen neighborhood schools[28]
  • Distribute traffic-generating businesses more evenly throughout the city[34]
David Chey NA
Katherine Daigle (R)
  • Increase the availability of affordable housing[28]
  • Provide businesses with tax incentives to offer flexible work schedules and remote work[28]
  • Work with state and federal government to modernize and streamline infrastructure[35]
Mary Ann Gaido (D)[36]
  • Strictly limit permits for new construction
  • Mandate voter approval for major new residential projects
Don Wagner (R)[37]
  • Prohibit developments that don't fully mitigate traffic
  • Appoint a traffic czar
  • Reinstate the traffic commission
  • Coordinate traffic controls and policies with the California Department of Transportation
  • Optimize traffic flow by implementing light synchronization and other recommendations from the city's 2016 traffic study
  • Limit commercial deliveries during peak hours
  • Reduce toll costs for commuters

Many of the candidates for the two councilmember seats also proposed development-related policies. The table below summarizes some of their proposals.

Irvine City Council candidates' development policy proposals
Candidate Policy proposals
Anila Ali (D)[38]
  • Implement the recommendations from the city's 2016 traffic study
Dale Cheema (R)
  • Update the city's general plan[39]
  • Redevelop older areas to increase citywide property values[40]
Ian Daelucian (Green)[41]
  • Encourage sustainable transportation
  • Incentivize sustainable building and power generation
Matthew Ehorn[42]
  • Revise the master plan rather than relying on smaller adjustments, such as traffic light synchronization
  • Encourage use of public transportation
Shiva Farivar (D)[38]
  • Maintain the high planning standards that guided growth in the past, including locating retail centers near housing and constructing school, parks, and recreational facilities
Melissa Fox (D)[43]
  • Prioritize infrastructure repairs and improvement projects
  • Expand access to multiple forms of transportation, including iShuttle, ride-sharing, and streetcars
  • Require housing developments to including grocery stores, shopping, entertainment, and childcare within one mile
  • Pursue clean transportation grants
Farrah Khan (D)[38]
  • Increase the availability of affordable housing
  • Develop sustainable power generation
Anthony Kuo (R)
  • Reinstate the traffic commission and empower it with oversight over transportation spending and authority to explore transportation improvements[39]
  • Put some of the developer fees collected by the city toward infrastructure[38]
  • Require new residential and commercial development projects to mitigate effects[38]
Courtney Santos (Libertarian)
  • Educate residents on all available transportation options, including public transportation[44]
  • Consider using community partnership grants to fund school bus transportation for local schoolchildren[44]
  • Expand and incentivize public transportation use[38][44]
  • Institute a community transportation commission[44]
  • Remove legal barriers to affordable residences, such as duplexes and micro-housing[38]
  • Encourage development of walkable neighborhoods close to workplaces[38]
Christina Shea (R)[39]
  • Reinstate the traffic commission
  • Implement more city council oversight of traffic circulation and review of development projects

About the city

See also: Irvine, California

Irvine is a city in Orange County, California. As of 2010, its population was 212,375.

City government

See also: Council-manager government

The city of Irvine uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city's primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council's policy and legislative initiatives.

Demographics

The following table displays demographic data provided by the United States Census Bureau.

Demographic Data for Irvine, California
Irvine California
Population 212,375 37,253,956
Land area (sq mi) 65 155,857
Race and ethnicity**
White 47.7% 59.7%
Black/African American 1.7% 5.8%
Asian 43.1% 14.5%
Native American 0.2% 0.8%
Pacific Islander 0.2% 0.4%
Other (single race) 2.3% 14%
Multiple 4.9% 4.9%
Hispanic/Latino 10.3% 39%
Education
High school graduation rate 96.6% 83.3%
College graduation rate 68.9% 33.9%
Income
Median household income $105,126 $75,235
Persons below poverty level 13.4% 13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Irvine California election. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Municipal elections in Irvine, California (2016) - Google News

See also

Irvine, California California Municipal government Other local coverage
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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ The Orange County Register, "Irvine Mayor Steven Choi Headed to November State Assembly Election," July 5, 2016
  2. ↑ Christina Shea for Irvine City Council 2016, "About Christina," accessed October 20, 2016
  3. ↑ The Orange County Register, "Longtime Irvine Councilwoman Krom Won't Seek Re-Election," August 15, 2016
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Orange County Register, "A Primer for Irvine City Council Elections," October 9, 2014
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 California City News, "Top 25 Elections 2016: #18 - Irvine City Races," September 28, 2016
  6. ↑ LinkedIn, "Jeffrey Lalloway," accessed October 21, 2016
  7. ↑ OC Politics Blog, "The Republican Who Will Make It to the 46th Congressional District's Primary Election," February 15, 2016
  8. ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Current Election Info," accessed August 13, 2015
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 City of Irvine, "Qualified Candidates for Mayor / City Council," accessed August 18, 2016
  10. ↑ Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Current Election Info," accessed August 13, 2015
  11. ↑ City of Irvine, "Public Portal for Campaign Finance Disclosure," accessed November 7, 2016
  12. ↑ Democratic Party of Orange County, "Democratic Party of Orange County Official Endorsements for the November 8, 2016 General Election," accessed November 7, 2016
  13. ↑ Republican Party of Orange County, "OCGOP 2016 Candidate and Ballot Measure Endorsements," accessed November 7, 2016
  14. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Not-So-Great Park," October 27, 2012
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Presidential General Election - November 6, 2012," accessed October 13, 2016
  16. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Irvine Voters Oust Larry Agran, a Decades-Long Fixture," November 5, 2014
  17. ↑ Voice of OC, "Irvine's Underdog: Questions for Christina Shea," July 26, 2010
  18. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "What Happened to Orange County's Great Park?" July 29, 2014
  19. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "California High Court Puts Redevelopment Agencies Out of Business," December 29, 2011
  20. ↑ The Orange County Register, "Update: Irvine Council Asserting Itself over Great Park," December 31, 2012
  21. ↑ Aleshire & Wynder LLP, "City of Irvine Great Park Audit - Report of Special Council," March 24, 2015
  22. ↑ HSNO - The Forensics Firm, "Orange County Great Park Forensic Contract Performance Review," March 23, 2015
  23. ↑ California State Auditor, "Poor Governance of the $1.7 Million Review of the Orange County Great Park Needlessly Compromised the Review's Credibility," August 9, 2016
  24. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Developers Offer to Finance, Build Part of Irvine's Great Park," October 18, 2013
  25. ↑ Voice of OC, "Irvine City Council Approves Construction Deal for Great Park," November 27, 2013
  26. ↑ City of Irvine, "688 Acres at Great Park," accessed October 14, 2016
  27. ↑ The Orange County Register, "Irvine Council Rejects Land Swap That Would Have Relocated Veterans Cemetery Out of Great Park," April 14, 2016
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 The Orange County Register, "Traffic, Development Fuel Irvine Mayoral Race," October 12, 2016
  29. ↑ Orange County Business Journal, "Irvine Won't Max Out for Decades," October 13, 2012
  30. ↑ United States Census Bureau, "American Fact Finder," accessed October 22, 2016
  31. ↑ Unlocking Gridlock: Traffic Talks Begin in Irvine," August 5, 2015
  32. ↑ Albert Grover & Associates, "Citywide Traffic Operation and Traffic Management Study," April 12, 2016
  33. ↑ USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, "2016 Multifamily Forecast Report," accessed October 20, 2016
  34. ↑ Gang Chen for Mayor 2016, "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)," May 25, 2016
  35. ↑ Katherine Daigle, "Issues," accessed October 20, 2016
  36. ↑ Mary Ann Gaido for Mayor of Irvine, "Home," accessed October 20, 2016
  37. ↑ Wagner for Mayor, "Don Wagner's Plan to Fix Our Traffic Problems," accessed October 20, 2016
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 38.4 38.5 38.6 38.7 The Orange County Register, "Here's What You Should Know about the Irvine City Council Candidates," October 21, 2016
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 Irvine City News, "Election 2016: A Virtual Townhall with Irvine's City Council Candidates," August 26, 2016
  40. ↑ Dale Cheema - Irvine City Council 2016, "6 Reasons to Vote for Dale Cheema for Irvine City Council," accessed October 20, 2016
  41. ↑ Ian Daelucian - Irvine City Council 2016, "Goals," accessed October 20, 2016
  42. ↑ Matthew Ehorn for City Council 2016, "Platform," accessed October 20, 2016
  43. ↑ Melissa Fox for Irvine, "Melissa Fox Announces Traffic Reduction and Transportation Plan for Irvine," September 28, 2016
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 Courtney Santos for Irvine City Council, "A Creative Approach to Traffic," October 10, 2016
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