By james art Three candidates are vying to represent Irvine’s recently elected Ward 3 on the City Council.
District 3 crosses Interstate 5 on the north side of the city, including the area around Irvine High.
The candidates, in alphabetical order, are Tom Chomin, James Mai and Jing Sun. They tended to agree on key issues, such as prioritizing funding for police and public safety, investing in public transportation to accommodate growth, and incentivizing residents to participate in city programs to adopt green technologies to help Irvine be a leader on climate change.
But each candidate brings to the table a unique background in business and public service that sets them apart from one another.
Chomin and his wife Jeanine have lived across the street from Irvine High School for 27 years and are raising three children in the city. Chomyn began his career in urban planning before moving into technology sales. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2022 and currently serves as the city’s Public Services Commissioner, appointed by Council Member Larry Agran.
Chomin is campaigning with Agran, a longtime Irvine political mainstay, himself running for mayor against Councilwoman Tammy Kim and a number of other contenders. Both agree on priorities such as planting thousands of trees throughout the city, supporting a Veterans Memorial Park in Great Park and challenging the Orange County Power Authority’s default inclusion of Irvine residents and businesses in an electricity rate that has more high price, but also a higher ratio of alternative energy sources.
Chomin said he also advocates upgrading and expanding the Heritage Park library and improving District 3 parks and trails.
May is chairman and CEO of Bristol & Bates, a business strategy consulting firm with offices in Southern California and Arizona. He and his wife have a 5-year-old and a teenager in Irvine Unified schools.
He is also the city’s commissioner of community services, appointed by council member Mike Carroll, and is president of the Irvine Community Alliance Fund, a nonprofit organization that supports programs and services offered by the city. In addition to his roles with the city, May is the chief representative of the Orange County Housing and Community Development Commission.
He said it’s important for city leaders to seek out underutilized areas for development, implement housing policies through zoning and incentives, invest in new infrastructure and engage the community in future planning.
Sun is also on the city’s public service commission; he was appointed by Council Member Tammy Kim. He has lived in Irvine for more than a decade with his wife and two daughters, moving to the city to complete his MBA from UC Irvine’s Paul Merridge School of Business. Before that, Sun earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Peking University in China.
Like his competitors, Sun said advocating for affordable housing through transit-oriented development is important to him. Sun also said she will fight for housing justice, advocating for people of all ages and backgrounds to have access to housing that meets their needs.
Like Chomyn, Sun proposes to “rejuvenate” the city’s older libraries and beautify Irvine’s existing trail network. Sun also said he would advocate for Irvine to expand and improve its dog park facilities, adding several throughout the city. The city currently offers one dedicated dog park, Central Bark, near the 5 Freeway and Sand Canyon Avenue.
Read more about each candidate’s position on important issues in the OC Register Voter Guide at ocregister.com/voter-guide.