Councilmember Larry Agran is leading the field of seven candidates hoping to become Irvine’s next mayor in early election results posted Tuesday night shortly after the close of polls.
Councilmember Tammy Kim was not too far behind, the two of them distancing themselves from five other challengers.
The mayor serves a two-year term and runs City Council meetings for the city of more than 300,000 residents and counting.
See the latest election results.
Mayor Farrah Khan is terming out, so it will be a new leader holding the gavel. But with two councilmembers in the race, it is likely to still be a familiar face sitting in the seat.
Councilmembers Agran and Kim were challenged by Akshat “AB” Bhatia, Wing Chow, Felipe Delgado, Ron Scoledang and Lee Sun.
Kim is wrapping up her first term on council, so a loss for her means an exit from the City Council. If Agran wins, the city will have to fill the last two years of his unexpired council term.
Whoever comes out on top at the end of ballot counting will also be tasked with helping to shepherd the master-planned city into a new era of development as Irvine nears “built-out conditions” and looks to meet state housing mandates by becoming denser in key areas around the Irvine Business Complex, the Spectrum and the Great Park.
Agran has been involved in Irvine politics since the 1970s and has previously served multiple terms as the city’s mayor.
Agran says the city’s biggest challenge is “managing growth while maintaining our residents’ quality of life.”
“Over-development threatens to overwhelm our infrastructure, reduce open spaces and increase traffic congestion,” Agran said in his response to the newspaper’s voter guide question about the biggest need facing Irvine. “My approach will focus on smart growth — balancing new development with the preservation of Irvine’s character.”
Kim, who was elected to the council in 2020, agreed with Agran that one of Irvine’s biggest challenges is to manage growth in a way that preserves a high quality of life for residents and ensures sustainability for future generations. She added that Irvine’s biggest challenge, however, is “addressing the visible increase in homelessness.”
“This will require a compassionate yet practical approach,” Kim said in her voter guide response. “I am working on a program that will integrate key solutions, starting with local quality-of-life laws that will prohibit camping in public spaces to keep them safe for all residents. The program will also provide temporary and bridge housing for those at-risk or currently homeless, with pathways to permanent affordable housing for those with ties to Irvine.”
