2026 Irvine elections
4 out of 7 seats on the City Council 4 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||
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The 2026 Irvine elections will be held on November 3, 2026 to elect municipal officials in Irvine, California. Four of the seven seats are up for election on Irvine City Council.
It is widely expected that an Irvine open space protection ballot measure will also be on the ballot in 2026. [1]
Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan; candidates’ party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.
Mayor
[edit ]Incumbent mayor Larry Agran was elected mayor of Irvine in 2024, defeating a field of challengers and eligible for re-election in 2026.
City council
[edit ]District 1
[edit ]District 1 covers north Irvine, including Orchard Hills, West Irvine, Northpark, Stonegate, and parts of Northwood.The incumbent is Melinda Liu, who was first elected in 2024 to a short term after defeating John Park.
Candidates
[edit ]Declared
[edit ]- Melinda Liu (Democratic), incumbent Irvine city councilmember, serving a short term[2]
- Sukhee Kang (Democratic), Former Mayor of Irvine [3]
Fundraising
[edit ]| Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025[b] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Melinda Liu (D) | 78,071ドル | 5,326ドル | 25,910ドル |
| Sukhee Kang (D) | no filing | no filing | no filing |
| Source: City of Irvine [4] | |||
District 5
[edit ]District 5 includes the neighborhoods of Rancho San Joaquin, University Park, Westpark, and Woodbridge. The incumbent is Betty Martinez Franco, who was first elected in 2025 to a short term after defeating former councilmember Anthony Kuo.
Candidates
[edit ]Declared
[edit ]- Betty Martinez Franco (Democratic), incumbent Irvine city councilmember, serving a short term[5]
- Byron Salvatierra (Democratic), Iraq War Army Veteran [6]
- Katherine Daigle (Republican), perennial candidate [7]
Filed paperwork
[edit ]- Alex Mohajer (Democratic), 2024 Candidate for State Senate District 37 [8]
- Christine Knowland (NPP), Planning Commissioner [9]
Publicly expressed interest
[edit ]- Anthony Kuo (Republican), former Irvine City Councilmember [10]
Potential
[edit ]- Steven Alves (Republican), Chief of staff to Irvine Councilmember James Mai[10]
Fundraising
[edit ]| Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025[b] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Byron Salvatierra (D) | 21,819ドル | 1,898ドル | 19,920ドル |
| Betty Martinez Franco (D) | 3,500ドル | 962ドル | 2,537ドル |
| Alex Mohajer (D) | $-4,580 | 1,055ドル | 11,115ドル |
| Katherine Daigle (R) | no filing | no filing | no filing |
| Christine Knowland (NPP) | no filing | no filing | no filing |
| Source: City of Irvine [4] | |||
District 6
[edit ]District 6 includes the neighborhoods of University Hills, Irvine Business Complex, and the University of California, Irvine. While technically vacant, Irvine councilmember Kathleen Treseder, serving at-large since 2022, resides in District 6.
Candidates
[edit ]Declared
[edit ]- Kathleen Treseder (Democratic), at-large Irvine City Councilmember [11]
- Scotty Hong (Democratic), Council Executive Assistant to Irvine Mayor Larry Agran [10] [12]
Fundraising
[edit ]| Campaign finance reports as of December 31, 2025[b] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand |
| Kathleen Treseder (D) | 23,445ドル | 3,070ドル | 20,374ドル |
| Scotty Hong (D) | no filing | no filing | no filing |
| Source: City of Irvine [4] | |||
Notes
[edit ]- ^ While District 6 remains vacant under Measure D, the measure treated at large incumbents residing in District 5 and 6 as districted incumbents if a vacancy were to occur. At-large councilmember Kathleen Treseder resides in District 6 and is being reflected here as a "Democratic incumbent".
- ^ a b c Raised and spent figures reflect campaign activity during calendar year 2025 only and do not include prior periods.
References
[edit ]- ^ "Irvine Open Space Protection Ballot Measure Kicked to 2026". Voice of OC. August 14, 2025.
- ^ "About Melinda Liu". Melinda Liu for City Council District 1. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ "Plans for District 1". Sukhee Kang for Irvine City Council District 1. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ a b c "City of Irvine - Campaign Finance Disclosure". City of Irvine . Retrieved March 13, 2026.
- ^ "Betty for Irvine". Betty for Irvine. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ "Byron for Irvine City Council". Byron for Irvine City Council. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ "Katherine Daigle". Katherine Daigle - Irvine City Council. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ "Alex Mohajer for City Council 2026 Statement of Organization".
- ^ "Christine Knowland Candidate intention statement".
- ^ a b c "2026 Irvine City Council Candidates And Election Preview (May Update)".
- ^ "Dr. Kathleen Treseder". Katheen Treseder for Irvine City Council District 6. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
- ^ "Meet Scotty". Scotty Hong for Irvine City Council District 6. Retrieved June 3, 2026.