# Mayoral elections in Irvine, California

Elections in California :
Federal governmentU.S. President
1852
1856
1860
1864
1868
1872
1876
1880
1884
1888
1892
1896
1900
1904
1908
1912
1916
1920
1924
1928
1932
1936
1940
1944
1948
1952
1956
1960
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
Dem
Rep
2000
Dem
Rep
2004
Dem
Rep
2008
Dem
Rep
2012
Dem
Rep
2016
Dem
Rep
2020
Dem
Rep
2024
Dem
Rep
U.S. Senate
1849
1850
1852 sp
1856
1857 sp
1860
1860 sp
1868
1872
1873
1873 sp
1878
1880
1885
1886 sp
1887
1891
1891 sp
1893
1895 sp
1897
1900 sp
1903
1905
1909
1911
1914
1916
1920
1922
1926
1928
1932
1934
1938
1940
1944
1946
1946 sp
1950
1952
1954 sp
1956
1958
1962
1964
1968
1970
1974
1976
1980
1982
1986
1988
1992
1992 sp
1994
1998
2000
2004
2006
2010
2012
2016
2018
2022
2022 sp
2024
2024 sp
2028
2030
U.S. House of Representatives
1849
1851
1852
1854
1856
1859
1861
1863
1864
1867
1868
1871
1872
1875
1876
1879
1880
1882
1884
1886
1888
1890
1892
1894
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1908
1910
1912
1914
1916
1918
1920
1922
1924
1926
1928
1930
1932
1934
1936
1938
1940
1942
1944
1946
12th
1948
1950
1952
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1987
5th sp
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2001
32nd sp
2002
2004
2005
5th sp
48th sp
2006
50th sp
2007
36th sp
2008
12th sp
2009
10th sp
32nd sp
2010
2011
36th sp
2012
2014
2016
2017
34th sp
2018
2020
25th sp
2022
22nd sp
2024
16th
20th sp
30th
45th
47th
2026 :
State governmentExecutive Governor
1849
1851
1853
1855
1857
1859
1861
1863
1867
1871
1875
1879
1882
1886
1890
1894
1898
1902
1906
1910
1914
1918
1922
1926
1930
1934
1938
1942
1946
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2003 (recall)
2006
2010
2014
2018
2021 (recall)
2022
2026
Lieutenant governor
1950
1954
1958
1962
1966
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Attorney general
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Secretary of state
1970
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Treasurer
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Controller
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Insurance commissioner
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Superintendent
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Board of equalization
2018
2022
Legislature Senate
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special
Assembly
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2021 (79th sp)
2022 (17th sp)
2024
Special
Judiciary Court of appeals
1994
1998
2002
2006
Elections by year
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2005
2006
2008
Feb
Jun
Nov
2009
2010
Jun
Nov
2012
Jun
Nov
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
State propositions1910–1919
1911
4
7
8
1960–1969
1964
14
1970–1979
1978
6
8
13
1980–1989
1982
8
1986
64
65
1988
98
99
1990–1999
1994
187
1996
196
209
215
218
1998
6
10
227
2000–2009
2000
21
22
36
39
2003
53
54
2004
1A
55
56
57
58
59
60
60A
61
62
63
64
65
66
69
71
2005
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
2006
81
82
83
85
87
89
90
2008
91
92
93
94, 95, 96, and 97
98 and 99
1A
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
2009
1A
1B
1C
1D
1E
1F
2010–2019
2010
13
14
15
16
17
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
2012
29
30
32
34
37
38
39
2014
1
2
41
42
45
46
47
48
2016
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
2018
68
69
70
71
72
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
2020–2029
2020
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
2022
1
26
27
28
29
30
31
2024
1
2
3
4
5
6
32
33
34
35
36
Full list :
Los Angeles CountyLos Angeles County Board of supervisors
1980
1996
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Ballot measures
1980
A
2008
R
2012
B
J
2016
M
Elections
2020
2022
2024
Los Angeles Mayor
1896
1898
1900
1902
1904
1906
1909 (sp)
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1929
1933
1937
1938
1941
1945
1949
1953
1957
1961
1965
1969
1973
1977
1981
1985
1989
1993
1997
2001
2005
2009
2013
2017
2022
2026
City attorney
2009
Ballot measures
1986
U
2017
S
Elections
2009
2011
2013
2015
2017
2019 (sp)
2020
2022
2023 (sp)
2024
Long Beach Mayor
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022 :
Orange CountyOrange County Board of supervisors
2018
2020
2022
2024
District attorney
2018
Anaheim Mayor
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
Irvine Mayor
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Costa Mesa Municipal
1947
1953
1954
1956
1958
1960
1962
1964
1966
1968
1970
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024 :
SacramentoMayor
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
San Diego CountySan Diego County Board of supervisors
2020
San Diego Mayor
1887
1889
1891
1893
1895
1897
1899
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1913
1915
1917
1919
1921
1923
1925
1927
1929
1931
1932
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983 (sp)
1984
1986 (sp)
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2005 (sp)
2008
2012
2013–14 (sp)
2016
2020
2024
2028
City attorney
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
City council
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Special :
San FranciscoMayor
1901
1903
1905
1907
1909
1911
1931
1935
1939
1943
1947
1951
1955
1959
1963
1967
1971
1975
1979
1983 (recall)
1983
1987
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011
2015
2018 (sp)
2019
2024
District attorney
2019
2022 (recall)
2022 (sp)
2024
Board of supervisors
1977
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
Board of education
2018
2022 (recall)
Ballot measures
2024
G
Elections
2004
Mar
Nov
2005
2006
Jun
Nov
2007
2008
Feb
Jun
Nov
2009
2010
Jun
Nov
2011
2012
Jun
Nov
2013
2022
Feb :
San JoseMayor
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2024 :
Other localities
Bakersfield
Mayoral elections:
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Fresno
Mayoral elections:
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Oakland
Mayoral elections:
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2024
2025
Riverside
Mayoral elections:
1997
2001
2005
2009
2012
2016
2020
2024
San Bernardino
Mayoral elections:
2005
2009
2014
2018
2022
Stockton
Mayoral elections:
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024 :
vte :
Mayoral elections in Irvine, California, are held every two years.
The first direct-election for mayor in the city's history was held in 1988. All such elections have been held under state laws that make municipal elections in California officially non-partisan.

## 1988

The 1988 mayoral election, held on June 7, was the first direct-election for mayor in the city's history. Larry Agran was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Larry Agran (incumbent) | Larry Agran (incumbent) | 15,651 | 57.0 |
| Barry J. Hammond | Barry J. Hammond | 8,707 | 31.7 |
| Hal Maloney | Hal Maloney | 3,111 | 11.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 27,469 | |

## 1990

The 1990 election was held on June 5, 1990. Sally Anne Sheridan unseated incumbent mayor Larry Agran.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Sally Anne Sheridan | Sally Anne Sheridan | 14,256 | 51.2 |
| Larry Agran (incumbent) | Larry Agran (incumbent) | 13,584 | 48.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 27,840 | |

## 1992

The 1992 mayoral election, held on November 3, was the first Irvine mayoral election to be consolidated with the statewide general election (the two previous direct mayoral elections had instead been held coinciding with the statewide primary elections). Mike Ward was elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Mike Ward | Mike Ward | 16,435 | 37.3 |
| Marc Goldstone | Marc Goldstone | 11,730 | 26.6 |
| Helen T. Cameron | Helen T. Cameron | 11,204 | 25.4 |
| Les Racey | Les Racey | 1,973 | 4.5 |
| Al Nasser | Al Nasser | 1,699 | 3.9 |
| David Fondots | David Fondots | 1,032 | 2.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 44,073 | |

## 1994

The 1994 mayoral election was held on November 8. Mike Ward, who ran unopposed, was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Mike Ward (incumbent) | Mike Ward (incumbent) | 26,055 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 26,055 | 100 |

## 1996

The 1996 mayoral election was held on November 5. Christina L. Shea was elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Christina L. Shea | Christina L. Shea | 19,479 | 49.8 |
| Sally Anne Sheridan | Sally Anne Sheridan | 11,537 | 29.5 |
| Paul Johnson | Paul Johnson | 4,747 | 12.1 |
| Guy E. Mailly | Guy E. Mailly | 3,314 | 8.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 39,077 | 100 |

## 1998

The 1998 mayoral election was held on November 3. Christina L. Shea, who ran unopposed, was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Christina L. Shea (incumbent) | Christina L. Shea (incumbent) | 29,067 | 100 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 29,067 | 100 |

## 2000

The 2000 mayoral election was held on November 7. Larry Agran, who had previously served two terms as mayor, ran unopposed and was elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Larry Agran | Larry Agran | 34,905 | 100.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 34,905 | |

## 2002

The 2002 mayoral election was held on November 5. Larry Agran was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Larry Agran (incumbent) | Larry Agran (incumbent) | 19,886 | 53.4 |
| Mike House | Mike House | 17,358 | 46.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 37,244 | |

## 2004

The 2004 mayoral election was held on November 2. Beth Krom was elected. Among the candidates defeated by Krom was former mayor Mike Ward.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Beth Krom | Beth Krom | 26,157 | 44.0 |
| Mike Ward | Mike Ward | 24,153 | 40.6 |
| Earle Zucht | Earle Zucht | 4,984 | 8.4 |
| Ronald Eugene Allen | Ronald Eugene Allen | 4,171 | 7.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 59,465 | |

## 2006

The 2006 mayoral election was held on November 7. Beth Krom was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Beth Krom (incumbent) | Beth Krom (incumbent) | 26,082 | 59.6 |
| John Duong | John Duong | 17,657 | 40.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 43,739 | |

## 2008

The 2010 mayoral election was held on November 4. Sukhee Kang was elected, becoming the first Korean American mayor of a major U.S. city. He defeated former mayor Christina L. Shea.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Sukhee Kang | Sukhee Kang | 38,505 | 52.0 |
| Christina L. Shea | Christina L. Shea | 35,481 | 48.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 73,986 | |

## 2010

The 2010 mayoral election was held on November 2. Sukhee Kang was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Sukhee Kang (incumbent) | Sukhee Kang (incumbent) | 36,634 | 64.1 |
| Christopher Gonzalez | Christopher Gonzalez | 19,383 | 35.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 54,017 | |

## 2012

The 2012 mayoral election was held on November 6. Steven Choi was elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Steven Choi | Steven Choi | 32,505 | 45.7 |
| Larry Agran | Larry Agran | 28,741 | 40.4 |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 9,951 | 13.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 71,197 | |

## 2014

The 2014 mayoral election was held on November 4. Steven Choi was re-elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Steven Choi (incumbent) | Steven Choi (incumbent) | 18,333 | 45.4 |
| Mary Ann Gaido | Mary Ann Gaido | 17,380 | 43.0 |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 4,698 | 11.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 40,411 | |

## 2016

The 2016 mayoral election was held on November 8. Donald P. Wagner was elected.
Results :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Donald P. Wagner | Donald P. Wagner | 30,002 | 37.7 |
| Mary Ann Gaido | Mary Ann Gaido | 26,278 | 33.0 |
| Gang Chen | Gang Chen | 11,816 | 14.8 |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 8,299 | 10.4 |
| David Chey | David Chey | 3,206 | 4.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 79,601 | |

## 2018

The 2018 mayoral election was held on November 6. Donald P. Wagner was re-elected.
2018 Irvine mayoral election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Donald P. Wagner (incumbent) | Donald P. Wagner (incumbent) | 35,592 | 45.3% |
| Ed Pope | Ed Pope | 24,682 | 31.4% |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 13,018 | 16.6% |
| Ing Tiong | Ing Tiong | 5,341 | 6.8% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 78,633 | 100% |

## 2020

The 2020 mayoral election was held on November 3. Mayor Pro Tem Christina Shea, who had taken office on April 13, 2019, when Mayor Donald P. Wagner vacated the seat after winning a special election to the Orange County Board of Supervisors, lost the seat to Councilwoman Farrah Khan, the first Democrat to be elected since 2010.
Declared candidates:
* Katherine Daigle, small business owner and perennial candidate (party preference: Republican)
* Luis Huang, solar engineer and advocate (party preference: Democratic)
* Farrah Khan, business consultant and city council member (party preference: Democratic)
* Christina Shea, incumbent mayor and former city council member (party preference: Republican)
2020 Irvine mayoral election (party preference listed) :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Farrah N. Khan | Farrah N. Khan | 56,304 | 47.56% |
| Christina L. Shea (incumbent) | Christina L. Shea (incumbent) | 42,738 | 36.10% |
| Luis Huang | Luis Huang | 9,684 | 8.18% |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 9,654 | 8.16% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 118,380 | 100.00% |

## 2022

The 2022 mayoral election was held on November 8. Farrah Khan was re-elected.
2022 Irvine mayoral election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Farrah N. Khan (incumbent) | Farrah N. Khan (incumbent) | 29,370 | 37.8% |
| Branda Lin | Branda Lin | 21,396 | 27.5% |
| Simon Moon | Simon Moon | 14,742 | 19.0% |
| Katherine Daigle | Katherine Daigle | 7,126 | 9.2% |
| Total votes | Total votes | 77,730 | 100.00% |

## 2024

The 2024 mayoral election was held on November 5, 2024. Incumbent mayor Farrah Khan, who was first sworn into office in 2020, cannot seek re-election due to term limits.

### Background

Although Irvine's municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, candidates tend to associate themselves with either the Democratic or Republican Party. In July 2023, term-limited incumbent mayor Farrah Khan had announced that she would run for the 3rd district seat of the Orange County Board of Supervisors against incumbent supervisor Don Wagner. In March 2024, Khan lost to Wagner, who received greater than 50% of votes, avoiding a runoff election.
In June 2022, ahead of the 2022 mayoral election, councilmembers Tammy Kim and Mike Carroll had introduced an agenda item to the Irvine City Council, which would have removed the mayoral seat from the ballot and switched it to an office appointed by the city council. Kim alleged that she had never endorsed the move to change the seat, and had only agreed to serve as a second on the motion vote in exchange for Carroll's support for a different motion on the agenda. The day before the meeting, Carroll had attempted to pull the agenda-setting rule off the agenda following "strong public backlash", including official condemnation from the Orange County Democratic Party; nonetheless, it was brought to a vote and the city councilmembers voted to repeal the rule. Had the rule passed, Irvine would have been the largest city in the United States without a directly elected mayor.
In 2014, Irvine voters had approved a rule to its city charter such that councilmembers and the mayors can serve no more than two full two-year terms for life. Agran was one of the longest serving city council members in Orange County, having served for over three decades on and off the city council since 1978, alongside serving as mayor for five non-consecutive two-year terms. In December 2022, Agran had resigned with a week left on his term in order to run for another four years on the city council, which prompted his colleague and fellow mayoral contender Tammy Kim to call it a "slippery power grab" and ask Agran if "40 years on the city council [was] not enough".

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Larry Agran (Democrat), at-large Irvine City Councilor (2022–present), former mayor of Irvine (1982–1984, 1986–1990, 2000–2004), and 1992 Democratic presidential candidate
* Akshat Bhatia, realtor
* Wing Chow (Republican), retired Certified Public Accountant
* Felipe Delgado (Republican), automation project manager at Fluor Corporation
* Tammy Kim (Democrat), Vice Mayor (2020–2021, 2022–present) of the Irvine City Council (2020–present)
* Ron Scolesdang (Republican), business owner and professional Muay Thai fighter
* Liqing Lee Sun (Democrat), Irvine Finance Commissioner (2022–present) and engineer

#### Withdrawn

* Katherine Daigle (Republican), writer and candidate for mayor in 2022 (running for South Orange County Community College District board trustee)

### Endorsements

Organizations
* Council on American–Islamic Relations Action California
U.S. Representatives
* Judy Chu, CA-28 (2009–present)
* Andy Kim, NJ-3 (2019–present)
* Grace Meng, NY-6 (2013–present)
* Katie Porter, CA-47 (2019–present)
* Brad Sherman, CA-32 (1997–present)
Statewide officials
* John Chiang, former California State Treasurer (2015–2019)
* Fiona Ma, California State Treasurer (2019–present)
* Betty Yee, California Democratic Party vice chair (2021–present) and former California State Controller (2015–2023)
State senators
* Dave Min, SD-37 (2020–present)
State assemblymembers
* Mike Eng, AD-49 (2006–2012)
* Ash Kalra, AD-25 (2016–present)
* Mike Fong, AD-49 (2022–present)
* Evan Low, AD-49 (2014–present)
* Cottie Petrie-Norris, AD-73 (2018–present)
* Sharon Quirk-Silva, AD-65 (2012–2014, 2016–present)
Municipal officials
* Doug Chaffee, Orange County Supervisor from the 4th district (2019–present)
* Katrina Foley, Orange County Supervisor from the 5th district (2021–present)
Local officials
* Joyce Ahn, Buena Park city councilor (2022–present)
* Ashleigh Aitken, mayor of Anaheim (2022–present)
* Valerie Amezcua, mayor of Santa Ana (2022–present)
* Fred Jung, mayor of Fullerton (2022–present)
* Sukhee Kang, former mayor of Irvine (2008–2012)
* John Lee, Los Angeles City Councilor from the 12th district (2019–present) (Independent)
* Kim Bernice Nguyen, Garden Grove city councilor (2016–present)
* Paul Seo, Rancho Palos Verdes city councilor (2022–present)
* Kathleen Treseder, Irvine City Councilor (2022–present)
Labor unions
* Orange County Labor Federation
Organizations
* Orange County Young Democrats
* Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Political parties
* Orange County Democratic Party

#### Political parties

* Republican Party of Orange County

#### Local officials

* Farrah Khan, outgoing mayor of Irvine (2020–present)
Political parties
* Democrats of Greater Irvine

### Results

2024 Irvine mayoral election :
| Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Larry Agran | Larry Agran | 42,652 | 38.76 |
| Tammy Kim | Tammy Kim | 37,924 | 34.46 |
| Ron Scolesdang | Ron Scolesdang | 12,891 | 11.71 |
| Liqing Lee Sun | Liqing Lee Sun | 6,001 | 5.45 |
| Felipe Delgado | Felipe Delgado | 5,325 | 4.84 |
| Akshat Bhatia | Akshat Bhatia | 2,761 | 2.51 |
| Wing Chow | Wing Chow | 2,496 | 2.27 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 110,050 | 100.0 |