Election for City Council Seat in District 5 Set for April 15th

Turning the page on 2024, we can finally put the seemingly endless elections in the rearview mirror and have a year ahead without overblown rhetoric, overstuffed mailboxes and garish signs everywhere, right?
 
Well … not quite.
 
Residents of Irvine’s Council District 5 — which includes Woodbridge, Westpark, University Park and Rancho San Joaquin — brace yourselves. Since Councilmember Larry Agran was elevated to Mayor last month in the middle of his Council term, there will be a special election on April 15th to determine who will serve the last two years of Agran’s term, representing District 5. A searchable map of District 5 can be viewed here.

In accordance with Measure D — the City Charter Amendment, adopted by Irvine voters last March to expand the City Council and transition to district elections — special election ballots to fill the vacancy in District 5 will be sent only to registered voters in the district. (District 5 currently has 28,584 registered voters according to the Orange County Registrar of Voters website.)
 
With the filing period for candidates already open, the field is quickly shaping up. Former Councilmember and current Planning Commissioner Anthony Kuo, public relations executive Betty Martinez Franco, former Councilmember Tammy Kim, perennial candidate Katherine Daigle, and political newcomer Gail Pennington have all taken out nominating papers.
 
So far, none have returned the completed forms with the filing fee and required voters’ signatures, but the filing period is open through January 17th, so there’s still time for them, and others, to get on the ballot. Candidates must reside and be registered to vote in District 5.
 
Kuo has lived in the Woodbridge community within District 5 for more than 30 years. He attended Lakeside Middle School and graduated from Woodbridge High School. He served on the City Council from 2018 to 2022. Before his election to the Council, Kuo served nearly eight years on the Planning Commission, including four years as Chair. He was recently re-appointed to the Planning Commission by newly-elected Councilmember James Mai.
 
Franco is a 21-year resident of District 5. She has a master’s degree in public administration from USC and more than 10 years of experience in public relations, strategic partnerships, community outreach, and media relations.
 
Daigle has lived in District 5 for more than three decades and has served on the board of the Woodbridge Village Association. Since 2014, she has run for Mayor four times, for State Assembly twice, and for County Supervisor. In November, she ran for the Community College District Board. However, she has yet to win an election.

Kim served on the Council from 2020 to 2024. Last year, she ran for Mayor and lost to Agran. In late October, Kim — who owns a condo in Northwood (Council District 3) and lived there before and throughout her Council term — announced that she had rented a residence in District 5.

An online search failed to return any reliable information on newcomer Pennington.