Written by the Irvine Weekly Community Editorial Board:

Under the tenure and leadership of Mayor Donald Wagner, Irvine has made noteworthy progress. He has lent a steady hand to a City Council that has had a history of markedly cantankerous politics and replaced it with civility, thoughtfulness and results. For that, we are proud to endorse Don Wagner.

Photo courtesy of Donald Wagner

One of the most unnecessarily challenging issues over the last decade in Irvine was the promise by the city to build the Great Park. For years, residents wondered when the park would come alive under the iconic orange balloon visible by anyone passing on the 5 freeway. Today, construction of the park feels like it has been expedited. One example is the recent completion of the world-class athletic complex, already attracting top-tier sporting events and a professional soccer team run by the Orange County Soccer Club.

Wagner’s approach to mayoral leadership is praiseworthy. He has adopted a thoughtful style of weighing the concerns of our community’s various stakeholders and has achieved, for the most part, compromise and balance on important local issues.

For the foreseeable future, many critical issues facing Irvine need Wagner’s temperament and experience to successfully address them. Temperament in politics today should not be undervalued. We do not want the City Council to revert to a divisive pit resembling the bickering and partisanship in Washington today.

From ensuring the city’s commitment to quality education, the veterans cemetery, housing, traffic and the responsible completion of the Great Park, Irvine has important issues ahead. That is why we support one more term for Donald Wagner. Vote Don Wagner for mayor of Irvine.

Our Editorial Approach

After researching each candidate thoroughly, consulting with community leaders, taking into consideration public comments during the candidate debate hosted by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce and weighing the experience of each candidate against the issues facing Irvine, we believe Don Wagner is the best choice for mayor while Anthony Kuo and Lauren Johnson-Norris are the best choices for Irvine City Council.

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