In their final days of campaigning, Irvine mayoral candidates have made their last pitches to voters as the Nov. 5 general municipal election approaches.
Incumbent Mayor Farrah Khan is ineligible for reelection after two consecutive terms. The mayor is still elected at-large after Irvine voters adopted Measure D in March to establish city council districts and expand the number of seats on the council from five to seven.
Irvine Vice Mayor Larry Agran and Councilmember Tammy Kim are the two prominent council members running for the mayorship.
Local business owner Ron Scolesdang, realtor Akshat “AB” Bhatia, Irvine Finance Commissioner Dr. Lee Sun, automation project manager Felipe Delgado and retired certified public accountant Wing Chow round out Irvine’s mayoral candidate pool.
Vice Mayor Larry Agran
Agran was first elected to the City Council in 1978 and has served the council on-and-off over his career. Agran was last reelected in 2022. If elected, it would be his sixth non-consecutive term as mayor.
“Good leadership combined with active citizen engagement,” Agran told New University, saying it could propel Irvine to greater heights.
Per his campaign website, Agran’s platform focuses on “careful planning,” citing his commitment to “protect local neighborhoods and prevent gridlocked traffic and overcrowded schools.” He was the only councilmember to vote against an amendment to the Irvine General Plan.
“The proposal to add 57,656 housing units in Irvine raises concerns about overwhelming our infrastructure,” Agran told New University. “A balanced approach must prioritize affordable housing for students while also ensuring we don’t compromise one of the largest and most successful master-planned communities.”
Agran suggested the city should explore an “instant affordability” initiative, which would involve negotiations with Irvine Company to provide a 50% rent discount on 5,000 of their existing 35,000 apartment units. He also supports pairing new housing with transit and suggests “integrating mixed-use spaces within walking distance of public transit” to reduce car reliance.
Agran aims to “protect taxpayers” by exiting Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), the Irvine-created energy provider founded in 2021. Irvine residents are automatically enrolled in OCPA’s 100% Renewable Choice Plan, but may opt out.
“The promises made by the Orange County Power Authority regarding cleaner energy at lower rates than Southern California Edison have not materialized,” Agran said. “As Mayor, I will advocate for our exit from OCPA, seeking better, more affordable energy options while expanding Irvine’s rooftop solar and storage program.”
Councilmember Tammy Kim
Elected to the City Council in 2020, Tammy Kim secured the highest vote count for any council candidate in Irvine’s history. The mayoral candidate said her mission is “ensuring we move our city forward.”
“I have brought lots of various business initiatives within the city of Irvine, including Irvine Tech Week,” Kim said during a city-hosted Mayoral Forum.
Kim opposed the council’s choice of Map 151 as Irvine’s district map.
“[Districting] would not accomplish what it was intended to do since Irvine has no ethnic enclaves,” Kim said in a statement to New University.
Kim describes herself as a “staunch advocate” for affordable housing, prioritizing “housing options for every income level” on her campaign website. During an Irvine Watchdog Candidate Forum, she challenged Agran on his planning approach.
“The master plan that was created in the 1960s is no longer compatible with the needs of the 21st century,” Kim said. “That’s why I challenged the Irvine Company to reimagine their existing paradigm by taking underperforming retail and underutilized office buildings and convert them into affordable housing.”
Kim asserts that Irvine should stay with the OCPA. As a member of OCPA’s Board of Directors, Kim told New University the rhetoric that OCPA was more expensive than SCE was “fake news.”
“You can’t say it’s more expensive because it’s not,” Kim said. “Under the basic choice, OCPA is cheaper than SCE. What OCPA is, is that it gives residents a choice.”
She also promotes “democratizing” broadband internet by creating a municipal option akin to OCPA.
Kim is endorsed by the Orange County Democratic Party and some prominent Democratic lawmakers. She has listed public safety, economic growth and development of Irvine’s Great Park as her other campaign priorities.
Ron Scolesdang
Scolesdang told New University his platform centers on “safety, transparency and organized planning.”
“I am concerned with recent issues, such as three murders in the last two months, an underfunded school district and increasing road safety incidents,” Scolesdang said. “I believe the City Council does not need another career politician, but instead a member of the community who is willing to listen.”
Unlike Agran or Kim, Scolesdang did not take a specific stance on OCPA.
He opposed the 2045 Irvine General Plan, calling it “out of touch with the current needs of the community.”
“I believe this plan threatens the core issues of safety, organized development and proper governance that Irvine was built upon,” Scolesdang said. “If we expand affordable housing by 10 times, we risk seeing crime escalate even further.”
His proposed solution involves re-negotiating a deal with the state to “reduce the number of affordable housing units or lower the buffer that Irvine City Council has put on the city.”
To reduce traffic, Scolesdang supports installing more smart traffic lights and promoting the Irvine Connect program.
An Irvine Watchdog examination of candidate voting records found that Scolesdang has not voted in an election since the 2020 presidential general election. He told New University he “was not very politically active until a year ago” because he did not “feel [his] vote had mattered.”
Scolesdang is endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County.
Akshat “AB” Bhatia
Akshat “AB” Bhatia’s campaign prioritizes parental rights, promising to make Irvine a “right-to-know city” — prohibiting school employees from withholding information related to a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity — if elected mayor.
He told New University he is “not 100% in favor of OCPA,” but that he would look to gather community input and seek to negotiate reduced costs to decide whether to remain with the provider.
Bhatia’s affordable housing approach combines mixed-use developments, student-centric housing and developer incentives. He said that he would “consider implementing rent control measures” to stabilize housing costs.
Bhatia’s transportation solution largely follows the same multi-tiered structure, with plans to broaden Irvine Connect routes, build protected bike lanes and enact “complete streets” policies to make roadways safer.
Finance Commissioner Dr. Lee Sun
In a statement to New University, Sun said his aspiration to become Irvine’s mayor stems from the city’s need for “a leader who genuinely listens to the voices of residents.”
As an Irvine Finance Commissioner, Sun calls for increased financial transparency. He specifically criticized the Irvine Police Department’s purchase of a $153,000 Tesla Cybertruck for community outreach.
“The major problem with this expenditure is the improper procedure, lack of transparency and lack of responsibility,” Sun told New University. “This should have come before the finance committee for approval.”
Sun did not say whether he would remain in OCPA, but plans to decide after “[investigating] options and expenses.”
On the issue of affordable housing, Sun said he would uphold the Irvine General Plan while considering traffic management and school capacity in new developments. He added plans to expand pedestrian bridges, bike lanes, Irvine Connect routes and school buses for alternative modes of transportation.
Sun is endorsed by Khan.
Felipe Delgado
Delgado’s mayoral ambitions are largely fueled by his desire to uphold the 1960s Irvine Master Plan.
“The city appears to have strayed from the balance of growth and quality of life,” Delgado told New University. “[I want the city to] meet the needs for housing, and improve the quality of life by continuing adherence to the Master Plan with adjustments for changing demographics.”
Asked about his ideas to improve transportation and reduce traffic, Delgado supports the Irvine Police Department using drone technology to support traffic control and suggests investing in “small one or two passenger” commuter vehicles for local travel.
Citing the green energy movement as “too prevailing to not provide some option,” Delgado said he would keep Irvine enrolled in OCPA until “a better option is available.”
Regarding affordable housing, Delgado challenged UCI students to “force UCI to provide more online or remote curriculum.” He said this would allow students to gain education “outside of the affordable housing arena.” Delgado also called on students to start a movement boycotting Irvine Company’s housing properties.
Wing Chow
Wing Chow, an Irvine resident since 1985, said it is time for him to “give back to the city of Irvine.” At the city-hosted forum, he encouraged residents to “not ask what the city of Irvine can do for you, ask what you can do for the city of Irvine.”
Chow’s priorities include education, housing, healthcare, environment, diversity and business. A finance professional, he has held positions as United Savings Bank Chief Financial Officer and visiting professor in managerial accounting at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies.
Chow does not have a publicly available form of contact.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters provides information on voting by mail, drop-off box or in person. Polls in California close at 8 p.m. on Nov. 5.
The new mayor and City Council members will be sworn in at an Irvine City Council meeting on Dec. 10.
Kian Momeny is a News Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. He can be reached at kmomeny@uci.edu.