Seven candidates are on the ballot in the race to become Irvine’s next mayor.
Mayor Farrah Khan terms out, so there is no incumbent in the race, but the crowded field includes two city councilmembers, Larry Agran and Tammy Kim. Challenging them are Akshat “AB” Bhatia, Wing Chow, Felipe Delgado, Ron Scoledang and Lee Sun.
Agran is a longtime staple of Irvine politics. First elected to the Irvine City Council in 1978, he has served on the council on and off for more than 20 years, including 10 years as mayor.
This time around, 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 this newspaper 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.”
Recently, the City Council approved an updated long-term housing plan to comply with state housing mandates and zone for more than 23,000 higher-density residential units around the Irvine Business Complex, the Spectrum and the Great Park. Agran was the only councilmember to vote against that vision.
Meanwhile, Kim wholeheartedly supported that plan.
“I really do believe that this council has a moral obligation and a moral responsibility to approve this general plan because this is about smart sustainable planning that not only safeguards and protects our quality of life as Irvine residents, but it addresses the affordable housing needs that we so desperately need, especially in this housing emergency,” she said.
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.”
Bhatia, a realtor, agreed that planning is a top concern and advocated for more mixed-use developments similar to what the City Council’s updated housing element is calling for. But he also called on the city to develop underutilized or vacant land “rather than relying on infill projects” to protect existing neighborhoods.
“I would advocate for smart growth strategies that focus on sustainable, mixed-use developments near transit hubs, reducing the need for car travel and creating walkable neighborhoods,” he said in his voter guide response. “Expanding affordable housing options is crucial to ensure that Irvine remains accessible to people of all income levels. I would work to implement inclusionary zoning policies and incentivize the development of affordable units.”
He said his leadership approach is “rooted in listening to diverse perspectives and ensuring that all voices are heard in the decision-making process.”
Wing Chow, a retired forensic auditor, said maintaining an adequate police force for the “safety and security for residents” was his top priority along with trying to attract new businesses to Irvine with “rent control and tax credit incentives.”
As the city continues to grow, he said “affordable housing for civil servants, improve traffic, build enough educational facilities like schools, libraries and recreational facilities” should be part of the vision.
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When asked by the voter guide about leadership he brings to the table he said he’s held executive positions during his career giving him leadership experience.
“Both my daughter and son were student body president when they were at IUSD,” he also said. “I was the student body president when I was in college. The trait of leadership runs high in my family.”
Felipe Delgado, an automation project manager at Fluor, an engineering and construction company, said he is most concerned about a shortfall in the city budget.
“We need to stop reckless spending until revenue improves,” Delgado said in his voter guide response to the biggest need facing the city.
“Businesses and industry are the base of the revenue source for the city,” he said, so to address that the city should “work to reopen” the sectors.
He serves as a board member of the Woodbridge Village Master Homeowners Association and “professionally, I’ve developed project management, implementation, and communication skills from a 45-year career” with Fluor.
Scolesdang, a small business owner who founded the nonprofit Seniors Fight Back, said the city’s biggest need is “enhancing e-bike and road safety programs, particularly for students.”
What is needed, he said in his voter guide response, is a program teaching teens “essential maneuvering techniques and refresh their understanding of road laws, significantly reducing accident risks.”
“This program will be at the forefront of my agenda, ensuring every family in Irvine can feel confident about their children’s safety,” he said.
“My involvement in local businesses has given me the chance to form meaningful connections and better understand the issues our residents face,” he said about leadership he would bring to the city. “My career began as a Muay Thai world champion, a title that required discipline, dedication and giving my all — qualities I will bring to my campaign and leadership.”
Sun, an attorney and Irvine finance commissioner, said public safety and affordable housing are his top concerns.
“A city can only thrive when its residents feel safe shopping for groceries or walking on the streets,” Sun said in his voter guide response. “To address this, the city must collaborate with the state, county, district attorney’s office and city police to ensure stronger enforcement, impose serious penalties and deliver real consequences for these crimes.”
Sun said he will advocate for creating a neighborhood watch fund that will “allow any resident interested in establishing a neighborhood watch in their community to apply for financial assistance” for that program.
New villages developed near transportation hubs and job centers would help address the need for affordable housing, he added.
Read more of the candidates’ responses to the voter guide’s questions on housing, climate change, leadership and biggest needs in the community at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
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