By james art Five candidates are vying for a two-year term to represent District 1 on the Irvine City Council.
The newly drawn District 1 covers the northeast part of the city, including areas between Jamboree Road, Irvine Boulevard and the 133 Freeway.
While council seats are typically four-year terms, the District 1 seat will be up for grabs again in 2026 along with Districts 5 and 6 to help stagger races as Irvine completes its transition from at-large to at-large elections. It will then be on a four-year rotation.
In particular, District 1 will continue to develop as Irvine plans to build nearly 1,000 homes on 70 acres of land known as Gateway Village starting in 2026. Gateway Village is part of a larger development project called Gateway Preserve, which will include more than 700 acres of nature preserve land surrounding the now-shuttered All-American Asphalt Plant, which Irvine purchased last year for $285 million.
There are no starters in this race. The five nominees, in alphabetical order, are: Michelle Johnson, Jackie Kahn, Jeffrey Kitchen, Melinda Liu and John Park.
Michelle Johnson
Johnson, a 23-year resident of Northpark, is currently the city’s planning commissioner.
Johnson was raised in a military family by two Navy parents and said she considers public safety her top priority. She built her career in banking and corporate finance and started her own consulting firm advising on capital raising and mergers and acquisitions. She is currently licensed as a professional fiduciary and broker in California.
Johnson said he would lead with a “planning first” approach. She said she would like to implement a sustainable transportation plan that connects major business areas and entertainment destinations, and believes the city should invest in a housing plan that will help Irvine’s younger workforce afford homeownership in what has become one of the country’s largest underserved markets.
“As the needs of our residents continue to evolve, we must invest in innovative housing solutions for our younger workforce as well as our growing senior population,” Johnson said.
She says the biggest issues facing District 1 include the need for wildfire management and an evacuation plan, which also addresses the rising cost of homeowners insurance. She said she would also advocate for District 1’s first community center and public library branch.
Jackie Kahn
Kahn is director of digital marketing at Edwards Lifesciences, a large medical technology company based in Irvine. A working mother and second-generation Californian, she said she fell in love with Irvine as a student at UC Irvine before much of District 1 was even developed.
“Irvine deserves a council member who will prioritize safety, thoughtful planning around housing and transportation, and improvements to childcare options,” Kahn said.
She said the most pressing issue facing Irvine is planning more affordable workforce housing.
Climate change is also a top priority for her, she said, and as a council member, she will work on campaigns to provide Irvine residents with more information about how to choose a 100 percent renewable energy plan option for their households. In 2022, the City Council voted unanimously to select the 100% renewable standard service level for all OC Power Authority customers in the city.
Geoffrey Kitchen
Kitchen is a senior project engineer at Parker Hannifin, an industrial machinery manufacturing company.
Like his opponents, Kitchen agrees that Irvine needs more affordable, quality housing options for entry-level ownership and to prevent a brain drain of young people who can’t live and have families in the city.
“I know our youth has the talent to keep Irvine at the top of the economic ladder,” he said. “We need to figure out how to support their housing, childcare and civic needs.”
Kitchen said he would like to see Irvine “build up, not out,” adding smaller “dorm-style” units around common areas that could attract younger workers. He would also like to pursue a policy that restricts absentee landlords from keeping their Irvine properties vacant.
“Housing is for the people, and a better balance can be sought between corporate and private capital interests and those of the local population,” Kitchen said.
Kitchen said Irvine needs to embrace emerging transportation technologies, such as the use of air taxis to connect cities with stations in Southern California.
Melinda Liu
Liu, a resident of Northwood for nearly 20 years, is the city’s finance commissioner and an attorney focusing on estate planning and trusts.
“For the past 20 years, I’ve been a grassroots activist and community leader in my neighborhood, advocating for immigrants, working parents, women of color and residents who care for their elderly parents, in other words, people like me,” Liu said.
Liu said the biggest issues facing Irvine include public safety as the city grows and protecting homes from wildfires. She said the issue is personal to her after having to evacuate her home during the 2020 Silverado fire.
“I will continue to ensure that we have adequate equipment and contingency plans,” she said. “I will also work with all public safety agencies to ensure they are meeting the needs of residents and continue to build a strong relationship with the community.”
To achieve Irvine’s goal of being carbon neutral by 20230, Liu said that as a council member, he will promote the city’s existing solar, recycling and composting programs.
John Park
Park has been an Irvine resident for 24 years — 16 in Northpark and eight in Orchard Hills. Park runs Eight Horses, an advertising agency based in Irvine. He is the Irvine Transportation Commissioner and previously chaired the Irvine Finance Commission.
This is Park’s fourth run for the Irvine City Council, but first for the newly created District 1 seat.
In 2018, he finished near the bottom of a very crowded field for two majors. In 2020 and 2022, Park improved his position and both times finished two positions behind the winners.
He said public safety is his top priority and will work with police to combat retail theft, home burglary and drug use. Park said he is also concerned about affordability and dealing with the threat of natural disasters, especially wildfires, in the northern parts of Irvine.
“Everyday costs have skyrocketed for everyone,” he said. “I will fight for affordability, including keeping taxes low, fees low and stopping new costs that burden residents.”
To read more about each candidate’s position on key Irvine issues, see their answers to questions in the OC Register voter guide at ocregister.com/voter-guide.
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