By james art Seven candidates have entered the race to be Irvine’s next mayor.
Mayor Farrah Hahn is running, so there is no incumbent in the race, but the crowded field includes two city council members, Larry Agran and Tammy Kim. Challenging them are Akshat “AB” Bhatia, Wing Chow, Felipe Delgado, Ron Scoledang and Lee Sun.
Agran has been a longtime staple of Irvine politics. First elected to the Irvine City Council in 1978, he served on the council 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 the quality of life for our residents.”
“Overdevelopment threatens to overwhelm our infrastructure, reduce open space and increase congestion,” Agran said in response to this question from the newspaper’s management about the biggest need facing Irvine. “My approach will focus on smart growth — balancing new development with preserving the character of Irvine.”
The City Council recently approved an updated long-term housing plan to comply with state housing mandates and zone for more than 23,000 higher-density housing units around the Irvine, Spectrum and Great Park business complex. Agran was the only council member to vote against that vision.
Meanwhile, Kim fully supported this plan.
“I truly believe that this council has a moral obligation and a moral responsibility to approve this master plan because it is smart sustainable planning that not only protects and protects our quality of life as Irvine residents, but addresses the need for affordable housing, which 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 managing 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 “dealing with the visible increase in homelessness.”
“This will require a compassionate but practical approach,” Kim said in his response to the voter guide. “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 make them safe for all residents. The program will also provide temporary and bridging housing for those at risk or currently homeless, with pathways to permanent affordable housing for those with connections to Irvine.
Bhatia, a realtor, agreed that planning was a major issue and advocated for more mixed use, similar to what the City Council’s updated housing element calls for. But he also urged 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 development near transit centers, reducing the need for car travel and creating walkable neighborhoods,” he said in his response to the voter guide. “Expanding affordable housing options is critical to ensuring that Irvine remains affordable for people of all income levels. I would work to implement inclusionary zoning policies and encourage 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 auditor, said maintaining an adequate police force for the “safety and security of residents” is 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 government employees, improving traffic, building sufficient educational facilities such as schools, libraries and recreational facilities” should be part of the vision.
When the voting leadership asked him about the leadership he brings to the table, he said he has held leadership positions throughout his career, which gives him leadership experience.
“Both my daughter and my son were student body presidents when they were at IUSD,” he further said. “I was student body president when I was in college. The leadership trait runs high in my family.”
Felipe Delgado, an automation project manager at Fluor, an engineering and construction company, said he is most concerned about the shortfall in the city budget.
“We need to stop the reckless spending until the revenue improves,” Delgado said in his response to the voter guide on the biggest need facing the city.
“Business and industry are the main source of revenue for the city,” he said, so the city must “work to reopen” the sectors.
He serves on the board of the Woodbridge Village Master Homeowners Association and “professionally, I have developed project management, execution 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 “improving e-bike and road safety programs, especially for college students.”
What is needed, he said in his response to the voter guide, is a program to teach teenagers “basic maneuvering techniques and refresh their understanding of the laws of the road, significantly reducing the risks of accidents.”
“This program will be at the forefront of my agenda, ensuring that every family in Irvine can feel confident in the safety of their children,” he said.
“My involvement in local business has given me a chance to make meaningful connections and better understand the issues facing our residents,” he said of the leadership he will bring to the city. “My career began as a Muay Thai World Champion, a title that required discipline, dedication and giving my all – qualities that 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 the streets,” Sun said in his response to the voter guide. “To address this, the city must work with the state, county, district attorney’s offices and city police to ensure stronger enforcement, serious penalties and real consequences for these crimes.”
Sun said he would advocate for the creation of a neighborhood watch fund that would “allow any resident interested in starting a neighborhood watch in their community to apply for financial assistance” for this program.
New villages developed near transport hubs and employment centers will help address the need for affordable housing, he added.
Read more of the candidates’ responses to voter guide questions about housing, climate change, leadership and the community’s greatest needs at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
Ballots can be mailed back, returned to the official OC Registrar of Voters box, or taken to a vote center. Polling stations begin opening for in-person voting on October 26, and Election Day is November 5.
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