On Tuesday, Nov. 8, voters in Irvine will be heading to polling places to fill out a ballot for the first time since 2020.

With Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, along with Irvine Council members Anthony Kuo and Larry Agran seeking reelection, voters will have some familiarity, along with new candidates vying to represent Irvine for the next few years.

With City Council terms set at four-years, and the Mayor serving a two-year term, Khan, Agran and Kuo will need to convince voters that back-to-back terms are warranted.

With two open seats on the city council Agran and Kuo will face off against four other candidates, and Khan will take on four candidates for mayor.

In 2020, Khan, a nonpartisan, defeated former Irvine Mayor Christina Shea with a total of 56,304 votes and will be campaigning for a second term against four candidates for mayor.

With a total of 11 candidates on the 2022 ballot, voters are seeking actionable answers to topics ranging from the inner workings of the Orange County Power Authority and the potential switch from at-large to district elections in Irvine.

Candidates are also highly focused on the impact on the quality of life All American Asphalt is having on residents in Orchard Hills.

Mayoral Candidates

Out of the candidates on the ballot for Irvine mayor, Katherine Daigle, an author and journalist, is the only candidate on the 2022 ballot with prior campaign experience. An eight-year resident of Woodbridge, Daigle ran for mayor in 2020. She received 8.2% of the vote.

This year, Daigle’s top priorities are to cease operations of the All American Asphalt facility and create more transparency within the Orange County Power Authority, according to her candidate statement.

Also running for mayor of Irvine is Tom Chomyn, a 25-year resident of Irvine. Chomyn moved here after graduating from Indiana University. As a technology account executive, Chomyn is highly involved in the community, with positions in the Greentree Homeowners Association, AYSO and Irvine High School Boosters.

Chomyn supports building a Veterans Memorial Park and Cemetery at the Great Park and expanding the council in a switch to district elections.

In his candidate statement, Chomyn expressed the need for more accountability and transparency inside the Orange County Power Authority, as well as the relocation of the All American Asphalt facility.

Simon Moon is an active chaplain in the United States Army Reserve and is also running for Irvine mayor. As a 10-year resident of Irvine, Moon serves as a pastor locally at the Onnuri Church. In his statement for candidacy, Moon vowed to never defund the police and wants to advocate for the homeless.

Lifelong Irvine resident Branda Lin has experience as a Community Services Commissioner for the city of Irvine. Lin also co-founded the Irvine Watchdog, “a non-profit organization dedicated to spotlighting city issues and holding elected officials accountable,” according to her candidate statement.

“I’m well-versed in the challenges we face, from inadequate shade structures in our parks to asphalt plant pollution; haphazard planning and insufficient retail in the Great Park; and high electricity rates without adequate notification,” said Lin.

Current Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan will seek reelection for mayor. In 2020, Khan garnered 47.6% of the vote. Since her election, Khan has had some notable accomplishments, working closely to bring innovation and climate action into Irvine.

Khan has faced criticism, however, for several issues over the last two years — failing to bring a veterans memorial park and cemetery into Irvine, and issues relating to the potentially toxic emissions stemming from the All American Asphalt facility.

City Council Candidates

Irvine City Council incumbent and long-time Irvine politician Larry Agran has been the county’s most outspoken proponent for a veterans memorial park and cemetery in Irvine. Agran has also served as Irvine mayor.

Agran, who filled Khan’s City Council seat in 2020 will be running for a four-year term.

In his statement, Agran proposed a Climate Action Plan that will offer residents an alternative to the Orange County Power Authority. If elected, Agran supports district elections with the aspect of expanding the council from five to seven seats.

John Park currently serves as the chairman of the Irvine Finance Commission and ran for City Council on the 2020 ballot. Park fell short despite receiving more than 32,000 votes.

Park, a 22-year resident of Irvine, hopes to change things in 2022 and says that public safety, excellent education and open spaces are all great aspects of Irvine. However, Park is concerned with the rapid state of growth in Irvine, which he says is “unprecedented.” In order to mitigate that growth, in his candidate statement, Park said the city will need a candidate with “fiscal fortitude” that understands multimillion-dollar budgets.

Kathleen Treseder is a climate scientist and a professor at UC Irvine. With a passion for environmental issues, Treseder helped spearhead the creation of  O.C. Clean Power.

Locally, Treseder has also been vocal about air quality issues in relation to the All American Asphalt Facility, and helped introduce an air toxic reporting system for Irvine residents.

At 19 years old, Navid Sadigh is the youngest out of all candidates on the 2022 ballot. Currently a student at Irvine Valley College, Sadigh is studying computer science.

As a lifelong resident of Irvine, Sadigh said he has noticed a lack of internet service providers within the city, and he hopes to change that.

Appointed by Khan to the Irvine Transportation Commission, Irvine resident Scott Hansen has served on a number of community-based boards and associations, including the Irvine Unified School District Finance Committee and Legacy Partner in the Irvine Public Schools Foundation.

Lifelong Irvine resident and incumbent Anthony Kuo is opting for a second four-year term as a City Council member. This year, Kuo, who is a resident of Woodbridge, said he knows what it takes to, “run Irvine city government with business-like efficiency.”

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