2026 Irvine City Council Candidates And Election Preview (May Update)

  • June 2, 2026, 8:40 am America/Los_Angeles

Since Irvine Watchdog first posted its 2026 Election Preview, four new candidates have entered the race or signaled their intent to run in Districts 5 and 6. Aside from unconfirmed speculation, there is still no indication of a challenger to incumbent Mayor Larry Agran. And the state of the race for District 1 remains unchanged.

Previously, we had reported that all the candidates who have filed thus far are registered Democrats who are seeking the Democratic Party endorsement. That is no longer the case, however, with the two new candidates who have filed to enter the race for the District 5 seat: frequent Republican candidate for elected office Katherine Daigle and Sustainability Commissioner Christine Knowland, who has been appointed to Irvine commissions and committees several times by Republicans Mike Carroll and former-Councilmember Anthony Kuo. Additionally, Irvine Watchdog has learned that Kuo himself also intends to run in District 5. Scotty Hong, the new opponent to incumbent Kathleen Treseder in District 6, is an aide to Mayor Agran and is believed to be a Democrat.

There is a little over two months left to meet the filing deadline for candidates seeking to run for elected office on August 7, 2026. Only time will tell whether more candidates enter the race.

Here is our updated breakdown of the candidates who have so far emerged for the Mayor’s seat and Districts 1, 5, and 6.

The Mayoral Race

Larry Agran (Incumbent)

The Mayoral seat sees a familiar face in Larry Agran. A veteran of Irvine politics with a career spanning several decades, Agran was most recently elected Mayor in 2024. Known for his staunch advocacy for open space preservation and his role in the development of the Orange County Great Park, Agran is seeking to continue his leadership in what would be his ninth non-consecutive term as Mayor. Agran has not yet opened a campaign committee or updated his mayoral campaign website, but Irvine Watchdog has confirmed his intent to run for reelection.

Note: Though Katherine Daigle also filed a Candidate Intention Statement for this election, she identified herself as a candidate for the District 5 council seat in a recent blog post.

 

City Council Candidate Matchups

District 1: North Irvine

Includes Orchard Hills, Northpark, Stonegate, and West Irvine. Click here for map of District 1

  • Melinda Liu (Incumbent): Currently serving a short term after her victory in 2024, Liu is a local leader who has focused on veteran services, public safety ordinances, and community cultural events, such as the city-wide Lunar New Year celebration.
  • Sukhee Kang: A familiar name in Irvine history, Kang served as the city’s Mayor from 2008 to 2012, becoming the first Korean American to serve as mayor of a major American city. After an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2012, Kang moved to Fullerton to run for State Senate in 2016 and lost. He has since moved back to Irvine, marking a return to the city where his political career began.

Sources Have Identified Additional Potential Candidates: 

  • John Park: A former Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, Park unsuccessfully ran for Irvine City Council in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. He has served on the Irvine Planning Commission and the Irvine Finance Commission, on which he was Chair. Irvine Watchdog was unable to reach Park for confirmation of his intended run.

 

District 5: Central Irvine

Includes University Park, Woodbridge, West Park I, and Rancho San Joaquin. Click here for map of District 5

District 5 has quickly emerged as the city’s most crowded and potentially competitive contest, with a former officeholder, commissioners, and a political activist either running or signaling their intent to enter the race.

  • Katherine Daigle: Longtime resident and former Director of the Woodbridge Village Association Katherine Daigle has an extensive history of running for public office, having run failed bids for State Assembly in the primary elections of 2016 and 2018, the Orange County Board of Supervisors in 2019, Irvine Mayor in 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022, and the South Orange County Community College District Board of Trustees in 2024.
  • Betty Martinez-Franco (Incumbent): Martinez-Franco made history in April 2025 as the first Latina elected to the Irvine City Council. A small business owner and former vice chair of the city’s DEI Committee, she won a special election when Larry Agran’s at-large seat was vacated upon becoming Mayor.
  • Christine Knowland: A recent entrant to the race, Knowland filed her Candidate Statement of Intent on May 14. Knowland currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Sustainability Commission, having been appointed by Mike Carroll. She had previously served on the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee – the forerunner to the Sustainability Commission – as an appointee of Anthony Kuo – and is a former Vice-Chair of the Planning Commission. Knowland has not yet launched a campaign website.
  • Anthony Kuo: Though he has not yet filed, Anthony Kuo has confirmed to Irvine Watchdog that he intends to run in District 5 this fall. Anthony Kuo served as an at-large councilmember from 2018 to 2022 and was elected Vice Mayor, having previously run unsuccessfully in 2016. His 2022 bid for reelection was unsuccessful, as was his run in the primary election for State Senate District 37 in 2024 and his run for the District 5 seat in the special election of 2025. Kuo has also been appointed to Irvine Commissions a number of times, most recently to the Finance Commission by Councilmember Mike Carroll.
  • Kuo, a Republican who grew up in Woodbridge, was known for his close working relationship with former-Mayor Farrah Khan, a then-Democrat who has since left the party and renounced the two-party system.
  • Alex Mohajer: A Democrat who ran for the California State Senate in the 2024 Primary, Mohajer has opened a campaign committee for 2026 but has not expressed a clear intent on running for Irvine City Council.
  • Byron Salvatierra: An Iraq War Army veteran, Salvatierra has opened a campaign committee to challenge for the seat. Salvatierra has emphasized his military service and community activism.

Sources Have Identified Additional Potential Candidates: 

  • Steven Alves: Alves is the chief of staff for Vice Mayor James Mai, President and CEO of SCA International Trade, Inc, and a Member of the Board of Directors of Irvine Community Fund. Sources have indicated that Alves will be running. However, Irvine Watchdog reached out to Vice Mayor James Mai seeking contact information for Steven Alves, and Mai stated that there was “nothing to confirm or deny” regarding reports of a potential run.

 

District 6: South Irvine & IBC

Includes UC Irvine, University Hills, and the Irvine Business Complex. Click here for map of District 6.

  • Kathleen Treseder (Incumbent): Treseder, a UCI professor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, has been a vocal advocate for environmental sustainability and carbon neutrality. While she was originally elected at-large in 2022, she resides in District 6 and is the primary incumbent for this newly defined territory.
  • Scotty Hong: New to the race is Scotty Hong, a Council Executive Assistant to Mayor Larry Agran. Hong recently completed a Master of Public Administration degree from Cornell University, with his commencement taking place in May 2025. According to his LinkedIn page, he has worked for Agran since December of 2024.

What To Watch For

As the November 3, 2026, election approaches, several key themes are likely to dominate the conversation:

  1.   Budget Deficit: Irvine recorded a roughly $6 million deficit in the most recent fiscal year, with an expected shortfall of $9 million next year and projections of a $37 million deficit by the 2027-2028 cycle leading to calls for a  forensic audit and a  hiring freeze. Expect this issue to inform both the election and much council business in the coming months.
  2.   District Representation: This is the first full cycle under the new district maps for Districts 1, 5, and 6, shifting how candidates campaign and how residents view their representation.
  3.   Open Space & Development: With a potential Open Space Protection ballot measure looming and recent zoning approval for a 50-acre nature park proposed by the Irvine Company, candidates’ stances on the proposed Oak Park redevelopment plan for the  shuttering Oak Creek Golf Course will be under the microscope.
  4.   Irvine Public Library: Irvine’s withdrawal from the Orange County Public Library system to establish its own Irvine Public Library system has been fraught with  unexpected complications and expenses. Candidates will likely have answers prepared for this popular issue.
  5.   Orange County Power Authority: A frequent subject of controversy in Irvine politics, the CCA has faced repeated attempts by Mayor Larry Agran to withdraw Irvine from the agency despite the council having voted to remain a member several times.  Advocates maintain that Irvine cannot meet its climate goals without OCPA, while critics argue that it is more expensive, lacks transparency, and cannot deliver on its green energy promises.

With a little more than two months to go until the August 7 filing deadline, the shape of Irvine’s 2026 elections will continue to change rapidly. Irvine Watchdog will continue to keep you updated about the candidates, campaign donations, and how the issues you care about are being addressed.

Correction: This article previously stated that Scotty Hong might seek Democratic endorsement. However, Kathleen Treseder has already been endorsed by the Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) for District 6. Betty Martinez Frank has been endorsed by DPOC for District 5.