A Republican “unity” slate of four candidates appears to have been elected to the Huntington Beach City Council. They will constitute the new council majority, shifting the political orientation of City Hall in a more conservative direction.
There were four open council seats on the ballot due to Councilmembers Mike Posey, Barbara Delgleize and Erik Peterson terming out, and Councilmember Kim Carr opting to ran for state Senate (she was defeated by Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen). Pat Burns, Tony Strickland, Casey McKeon and Gracey Van Der Mark captured all four.
Strickland, McKeon, Burns and Van Der Mark ran together on a pledges of support for lower taxes and small business, responsible environmental stewardship, prioritizing public safety and law enforcement, addressing homelessness and reclaiming public spaces, reviving the city’s economy, reining in city spending, and support for property rights while protecting neighborhoods.
READ: Huntington Beach: Business & GOP Leaders Unite Around Four Candidates For City Council
At a beach-front rally a week before the election, the four council aspirants publicly signed the “Contract with Huntington Beach Voters,” in which they promised that if elected, they would:
- Authorize City Attorney Michael Gates to renew his legal battle against state mandates, especially pertaining to housing.
- Implement a 90-day plan to “combat homelessness and clean up our streets.”
- Make “crime illegal again” by empowering the police department and city prosecutor to crack down on criminal activity.
- “Reward, not punish” business by cutting red tape and welcoming them to Huntington Beach.
“This is the dawn of a new day in Huntington Beach,” McKeon told OC Independent. “This is a historic election victory sweep that has united the community through the commitment of government transparency and collaboration to solve the issues affecting our City.”
The slate’s first place finish vindicated an effort by business, community and Republican leaders to unify behind four candidates and avoid the vote splintering that had led to Democrats taking over the city council in recent years.
Strickland, Van Der Mark, McKeon and Burns campaigned as a team and held more than 100 meet and greets with voters.
“We won because we had a strong and decisive message that resonates with the people of Huntington Beach,” Strickland told OC Independent.
“I just want the Huntington Beach residents and our amazing volunteers to know how grateful we are for their support. By all of us working together we have brought the city council back into the hands of the residents where it belongs,” said McKeon.
“Not in the last four cycles have you seen such a unity among the business community and community groups in the Republican Party,” said Republican Party of Orange County Chair Fred Whitaker.
“Huntington Beach residence spoke loud and clear that they’ve had enough ‘woke symbolism’ on their city council. The victories were a mandate for common sense local control based on conservative principles,” said Whitaker.
Democrat Slate Loses Decisively
The Democratic Party of Orange County endorsed four candidates: former Councilmember Jill Hardy, Ocean View School District Trustee Gina Clayton-Tarvin, Planning Commissioner Oscar Rodriguez and Ken Inouye. Hardy ran largely solo, while Clayton-Tarvin, Rodriguez and Inouye ran as a slate.
All four finished far behind the Republican “unity” slate. None have publicly conceded on their campaign social media.
Police Union Backs Some Winners, Some Losers
The Huntington Beach Police Officers Association had a mixed night with its endorsements. The HBPOA endorsed Strickland and McKeon, who won, and Clayton-Tarvin and Rodriguez, who lost. The police union’s support for Clayton-Tarvin and Rodriguez outraged many residents due to their participation in and support of BLM protests. Clayton-Tarvin can be seen on video during a 2020 George Floyd protest chanting “No justice, no peace” while Rodriguez posted on Facebook that the murder of George Floyd proved that “hatred and racism” are “embedded” in law enforcement and can’t be reformed, but must be subjected to “complete overhaul.”
New Councilmembers Vow To Hit The Ground Running
Since the election, “unity” slate members have affirmed their intention to hit the ground running.
“Fulfillment of the goals of the Contract with Huntington Beach Voters will be kicked off at the first council meeting after we are sworn in,” promised McKeon.
“We will start to execute the Contract on Day One,” said Strickland, a former state legislator. “When you look at the election results, it’s clear we have a strong mandate.”
