Students Powering Scotty Hong’s Council Campaign

by ICNV Staff

In the Nov. 3 election, Irvine voters citywide will elect a Mayor to a two-year term. In addition, voters in three City Council districts will elect representatives to four-year terms.

One of the most interesting Council races is located in District 6. Residents living in the neighborhoods surrounding UCI, University Hills, and the Jamboree and MacArthur corridors will elect their very first District 6 City Council representative. Two candidates are running for the new Council seat: Irvine’s Sustainability Commissioner Scotty Hong and at-large Councilmember Kathleen Treseder.

While Treseder brands herself the incumbent and floods the district with costly mailers, Scotty Hong is taking a different approach: building a truly grassroots campaign powered by people living in the district. Hong, a 34-year-old public policy expert educated at Harvard and Cornell, has already drawn scores of UCI students to his campaign. In fact, they’ve established a “Students for Scotty” group on campus.

Dozens of students spend their time between classes and on weekends helping Hong knock on doors and talk one-on-one with voters about what matters most in their neighborhoods. These doorstep dialogs are intended to hear voters’ concerns and let them know that, if elected to the City Council, Scotty Hong will make sure residents’ concerns are addressed at City Hall.

It’s not just young people who have joined Hong’s campaign. He’s built support across generations and throughout the district, including among voters who complain that Treseder has a long history of dismissing residents’ concerns and assuming she knows best. They find Hong’s campaign refreshingly welcoming and inclusive, creating a sense that people from all ages and backgrounds are valued, represented, and encouraged to take part in our local democracy.

Ask his volunteers, young and not-so-young, why they signed up, and many point to the same reason: Scotty Hong is respectful and he is eager to listen and learn. They say he is ready to take the issues that matter most to them — from affordability and safety to greener transit and a more connected community — and champion them at City Hall.

We will have to wait until Nov. 3 to see if Hong’s people-powered campaign is successful.

Full Disclosure: Irvine Community News & Views has endorsed Scotty Hong for Irvine City Council, District 6.