By james art Irvine, like Orange County as a whole, has shifted left since the emergence of Donald Trump as the GOP standard-bearer — reflecting suburban opposition to the former president and the GOP’s right-wing movement on issues like abortion. Huntington Beach appears to be moving in the opposite direction: The city is a center of conservative activism, and local voters recently backed conservative council members and ballot measures.
“This Tale of Two Cities”
The divide between the two cities can be explained by the difference in educational attainment, which John Gould, dean of the School of Social Ecology at UC Irvine, called the most important distinction in OP politics. Over 72% of Irvine residents have a college degree, compared to about 44% in Huntington Beach.
“What we’re seeing happening here in Orange County is the real divide between left and right, Democrat and Republican, is college education versus non-college education,” said Gould, who led the UC Irvine study.
The so-called “graduation divide” helped move Orange County from a GOP stronghold to a political battleground.
“It used to be that college graduates tended to be more Republican,” Gould added. “What we’re seeing right now in the Trump era is that college graduates are much more heavily Democratic.”
A study conducted by Gould shows that the educational trend is beginning to spread among racial and ethnic groups in a county where only 37 percent of residents are white. A UC Irvine poll of voters in the county in April found support for President Joe Biden’s re-election at 41 percent among white and non-white voters without a college degree. Meanwhile, support for Biden among white and non-white voters with a degree stood at 55% and 54%, respectively.
“We’re seeing this degree divide actually outpacing, in many cases, race and ethnicity as driving behavior,” said Mike Madrid, a longtime political consultant in California.
This gap in education, along with different trends in population growth and housing policy, left Irvine and Huntington Beach at odds: two communities embodying a greater divide in national politics.
“That’s why you have this tale of two cities,” said Irvine City Councilwoman Tammy Kim.
With growth, Irvine moves to the left
Irvine’s story is one of rapid growth. A master-planned community built on the Irvine Company ranch, the city was not officially incorporated until 1971. Since 1990, the city’s population has tripled as city leaders approved ambitious developments to accommodate new residents, including many arriving from Asia.
“We’re building the most, not just in terms of market-rate housing, but we’re actually a regional leader in affordable housing,” said Kim, a native of Korea who is running to be Irvine’s next mayor.
“As we grow, we become more diverse and progressive,” Kim added. “We have the largest Persian community anywhere in Orange County. We have the largest Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean communities here in Irvine.”
According to Los Angeles TimesIrvine has added more residents than any other city in California over the past three years.
One of those newcomers is Ren Kondo, who moved from Austin this summer to a house just down the street from the Turtle Rock fundraiser.
“I chose Irvine because I think Irvine is a very progressive and cool community for Asians,” said Kondo, who met with Democratic caucus hosts at his own housewarming party last week.
According to Kim, what unites the diverse residents of Irvine is their shared emphasis on education.
“We have a lot of highly educated people making their way to Irvine,” she added. “They choose to have a home in Irvine and they come here for the education system so their children have access to the best education system as well.”
UC Irvine is the political heart of the congressional district for Democrats. Both Porter and Min were professors at UC Irvine before launching campaigns for office. And the success of Democrats in a district can often depend on whether candidates are able to galvanize a large enough turnout among campus student voters.
“Irvine is this hot spot of young voters who are really, really passionate about politics,” said Kushi Patel, director of activism for the Young Democrats of Orange County. “A lot of the voters here are Democrats, so it’s really important to make sure that not only is everyone registered to vote, but that they’re educated on where to vote and how to vote and all the issues.”
Republicans see Huntington Beach as their counterweight to Irvine in the 47th District.
“Our goal is to offset the votes that are against Scott Baugh in Irvine, to make sure we win dramatically here in Huntington Beach to get him across the finish line,” said Huntington Beach City Councilman Tony Strickland .
Working class beach community
Before Huntington Beach was Surf City, it was Oil City.
A century ago, oil derricks lined the coast and drew workers from oil states like Texas and Oklahoma.
The city’s working-class roots are still visible, from the oil rigs on the skyline to the city’s high school mascot: the Oilers.
“It’s definitely a working-class community,” Strickland said. “It’s unlike any other beach community, especially here in Orange County. It’s not Newport Beach. He is not extremely rich.’