Mayoral elections in Irvine, California

Elections in California
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San Francisco Mayor 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) Elections 2004 Mar Nov 2005 2006 Jun Nov 2007 2008 Feb Jun Nov 2009 2010 Jun Nov 2011 2012 Jun Nov 2013 2022 Feb v t e
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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 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 v t e
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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 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1988

June 7, 1988[1] 1990 →

Candidate Larry Agran Barry J. Hammond Hal Maloney Popular vote 15,651 8,707 3,111 Percentage 57.0% 31.7% 11.3

Mayor before election Larry Agran Elected Mayor Larry Agran

The 1988 mayoral election, held on June 7, was the first direct-election for mayor in the city's history.^[1] Larry Agran was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Larry Agran (incumbent)		15,651	57.0
Barry J. Hammond		8,707	31.7
Hal Maloney		3,111	11.3
Total votes		27,469

1990 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1990

← 1988 June 5, 1990[1] 1992 →

Candidate Sally Anne Sheridan Larry Agran Popular vote 14,256 13,584 Percentage 51.2% 48.8%

Mayor before election Larry Agran Elected Mayor Sally Anne Sheridan

The 1990 election was held on June 5, 1990. Sally Anne Sheridan unseated incumbent mayor Larry Agran.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Sally Anne Sheridan		14,256	51.2
Larry Agran (incumbent)		13,584	48.8
Total votes		27,840

1992 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1992

← 1990 November 3, 1992[1] 1994 →

Candidate Mike Ward Marc Goldstone Helen T. Cameron Popular vote 16,435 11,730 11,204 Percentage 37.3% 26.6% 25.4

Mayor before election Sally Anne Sheridan Elected Mayor Mike Ward

The 1992 mayoral election, held on November 3, was the first Irvine mayoral election to be consolidated with the statewide general election^[1] (the two previous direct mayoral elections had instead been held coinciding with the statewide primary elections). Mike Ward was elected.^[1]

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Mike Ward		16,435	37.3
Marc Goldstone		11,730	26.6
Helen T. Cameron		11,204	25.4
Les Racey		1,973	4.5
Al Nasser		1,699	3.9
David Fondots		1,032	2.3
Total votes		44,073

1994 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1994

← 1992 November 8, 1994[1] 1996 →

Candidate Mike Ward Popular vote 26,055 Percentage 100%

Mayor before election Mike Ward Elected Mayor Mike Ward

The 1994 mayoral election was held on November 8. Mike Ward, who ran unopposed, was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Mike Ward (incumbent)		26,055	100
Total votes		26,055	100

1996 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1994

← 1994 November 5, 1996[1] 1998 →

Candidate Christina L. Shea Sally Anne Sheridan Popular vote 19,479 11,537 Percentage 49.8% 29.5%   Candidate Paul Johnson Guy E. Mailly Popular vote 4,747 3,314 Percentage 12.1 8.5

Mayor before election Mike Ward Elected Mayor Christina L. Shea

The 1996 mayoral election was held on November 5. Christina L. Shea was elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Christina L. Shea (incumbent)		19,479	49.8
Sally Anne Sheridan		11,537	29.5
Paul Johnson		4,747	12.1
Guy E. Mailly		3,314	8.5
Total votes		39,077	100

1998 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 1998

← 1996 November 3, 1998[1] 2000 →

Candidate Christina L. Shea Popular vote 29,067 Percentage 100%

Mayor before election Christina L. Shea Elected Mayor Christina L. Shea

The 1998 mayoral election was held on November 3. Christina L. Shea, who ran unopposed, was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Christina L. Shea (incumbent)		29,067	100
Total votes		29,067	100

2000 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2000

← 1998 November 7, 2000[1] 2002 →

Candidate Larry Agran Popular vote 34.905 Percentage 100.0%

Mayor before election Christina L. Shea Elected Mayor Larry Agran

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^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Larry Agran		34,905	100.0
Total votes		34,905

2002 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2002

← 2000 November 5, 2002[1] 2004 →

Candidate Larry Agran Mike House Popular vote 19,886 17,358 Percentage 53.4% 46.6%

Mayor before election Larry Agran Elected Mayor Larry Agran

The 2002 mayoral election was held on November 5. Larry Agran was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Larry Agran (incumbent)		19,886	53.4
Mike House		17,358	46.6
Total votes		37,244

2004 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2004

← 2002 November 2, 2004[1] 2006 →

Candidate Beth Krom Mike Ward Popular vote 26,157 24,153 Percentage 44.0% 40.6%   Candidate Earle Zucht Ronald Eugene Allen Popular vote 4,984 4,171 Percentage 8.4% 7.0%

Mayor before election Larry Agran Elected Mayor Beth Krom

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^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Beth Krom		26,157	44.0
Mike Ward		24,153	40.6
Earle Zucht		4,984	8.4
Ronald Eugene Allen		4,171	7.0
Total votes		59,465

2006 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2006

← 2004 November 7, 2006[1] 2008 →

Candidate Beth Krom John Duong Popular vote 26,082 17,657 Percentage 59.6% 40.4%

Mayor before election Beth Krom Elected Mayor Beth Krom

The 2006 mayoral election was held on November 7. Beth Krom was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Beth Krom (incumbent)		26,082	59.6
John Duong		17,657	40.4
Total votes		43,739

2008 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2008

← 2006 November 4, 2008[1] 2010 →

Candidate Sukhee Kang Christina L. Shea Popular vote 38,505 35,481 Percentage 52.0% 48.0%

Mayor before election Beth Krom Elected Mayor Sukhee Kang

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^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Sukhee Kang		38,505	52.0
Christina L. Shea		35,481	48.0
Total votes		73,986

2010 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2010

← 2008 November 2, 2010[1] 2012 →

Candidate Sukhee Kang Christopher Gonzales Popular vote 34,634 19,383 Percentage 64.1% 35.9%

Mayor before election Sukhee Kang Elected Mayor Sukhee Kang

The 2010 mayoral election was held on November 2. Sukhee Kang was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Sukhee Kang (incumbent)		36,634	64.1
Christopher Gonzalez		19,383	35.9
Total votes		54,017

2012 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2012

← 2010 November 6, 2012[1] 2014 →

Candidate Steven Choi Larry Agran Katherine Daigle Popular vote 32,505 28,741 9,951 Percentage 45.7% 40.4% 13.9%

Mayor before election Sukhee Kang Elected Mayor Steven Choi

The 2012 mayoral election was held on November 6. Steven Choi was elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Steven Choi		32,505	45.7
Larry Agran		28,741	40.4
Katherine Daigle		9,951	13.9
Total votes		71,197

2014 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2014

← 2012 November 4, 2014[1] 2016 →

Candidate Steven Choi Mary Ann Gaido Katherine Daigle Popular vote 18,333 17,380 4,698 Percentage 45.4% 43.0% 11.6%

Mayor before election Steven Choi Elected Mayor Steven Choi

The 2014 mayoral election was held on November 4. Steven Choi was re-elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Steven Choi (incumbent)		18,333	45.4
Mary Ann Gaido		17,380	43.0
Katherine Daigle		4,698	11.6
Total votes		40,411

2016 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2016

← 2014 November 8, 2016[1] 2018 →

Candidate Donald P. Wagner Mary Ann Gaido Popular vote 30,002 26,278 Percentage 37.7% 33.0%   Candidate Gang Chen Katherine Daigle Popular vote 11,816 8,299 Percentage 14.8% 10.4%

Mayor before election Steven Choi Elected Mayor Donald P. Wagner

The 2016 mayoral election was held on November 8. Donald P. Wagner was elected.

Results^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Donald P. Wagner		30,002	37.7
Mary Ann Gaido		26,278	33.0
Gang Chen		11,816	14.8
Katherine Daigle		8,299	10.4
David Chey		3,206	4.0
Total votes		79,601

2018 Irvine mayoral election

Irvine mayoral election, 2018

← 2016 November 6, 2018[1] 2020 →

Candidate Donald P. Wagner Ed Pope Popular vote 35,592 24,682 Percentage 45.3% 31.4%   Candidate Katherine Daigle Ing Tiong Popular vote 13,018 5,341 Percentage 16.6% 6.8%

Results by county supervisorial district Wagner:      40–50%

Mayor before election Donald P. Wagner Elected Mayor Donald P. Wagner

The 2018 mayoral election was held on November 6. Donald P. Wagner was re-elected.

2018 Irvine mayoral election^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Donald P. Wagner (incumbent)		35,592	45.3%
Ed Pope		24,682	31.4%
Katherine Daigle		13,018	16.6%
Ing Tiong		5,341	6.8%
Total votes		78,633	100%

2020 Irvine mayoral election

2020 Irvine mayoral election

← 2018 November 3, 2020 2022 →
Turnout	80.24%[1] 17.82 pp
Candidate Farrah Khan Christina Shea Popular vote 56,304 42,738 Percentage 47.56% 36.10%   Candidate Luis Huang Katherine Daigle Popular vote 9,684 9,654 Percentage 8.18% 8.16%
Mayor before election Christina Shea Elected Mayor Farrah Khan

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,^[2] 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^[3] (party preference: Republican)
• Luis Huang, solar engineer and advocate^[3] (party preference: Democratic)^[4]
• Farrah Khan, business consultant and city council member^[3] (party preference: Democratic)
• Christina Shea, incumbent mayor and former city council member^[3] (party preference: Republican)

2020 Irvine mayoral election (party preference listed)^[1]

Candidate		Votes	%
Farrah N. Khan		56,304	47.56%
Christina L. Shea (incumbent)		42,738	36.10%
Luis Huang		9,684	8.18%
Katherine Daigle		9,654	8.16%
Total votes		118,380	100.00%

2022 Irvine mayoral election

2022 Irvine mayoral election

← 2020 November 8, 2022 2024 →

Candidate Farrah Khan Branda Lin Popular vote 29,370 21,396 Percentage 37.8% 27.5%   Candidate Simon Moon Katherine Daigle Popular vote 14,742 7,126 Percentage 19.5% 9.2%

Mayor before election Farrah Khan Elected Mayor Farrah Khan

The 2022 mayoral election was held on November 8. Farrah Khan was re-elected.

2022 Irvine mayoral election^[5]

Candidate		Votes	%
Farrah N. Khan (incumbent)		29,370	37.8%
Branda Lin		21,396	27.5%
Simon Moon		14,742	19.0%
Katherine Daigle		7,126	9.2%
Total votes		77,730	100.00%

2024 Irvine mayoral election

2024 Irvine mayoral election

← 2020 November 5, 2024 2024 →

Candidate Larry Agran Tammy Kim

Mayor before election Farrah Khan Elected Mayor TBD

The 2024 mayoral election will be held on November 5, 2024.^[6] Incumbent mayor Farrah Khan, who was first sworn into office in 2020, was prevented from seeking re-election by term limits.^[7]

Background

Although Irvine's municipal elections are officially nonpartisan, candidates tend to associate themselves with either the Democratic or Republican Party.^[6] 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.^[8] In March 2024, Khan lost to Wagner, who received greater than the 50% vote threshold to avoid a runoff election.^[9]

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.^[10] 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.^[11] Had the rule passed, Irvine would have been the largest city in the United States without a directly elected mayor.^[10]

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.^[6] 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,^[12] alongside serving as mayor for five non-consecutive two-year terms.^[13] 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".^[14]

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^[15]
• Tammy Kim (Democrat), Vice Mayor (2020–2021, 2022–present) of the Irvine City Council (2020–present)^[7]

Endorsements

Results

2024 Irvine mayoral election

Candidate		Votes	%
Larry Agran
Tammy Kim
Total votes

References