Irvine, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Irvine Mayor & City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

12 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Mayor · 1 seat

City Council District 1 · 1 seat

City Council District 5 · 1 seat

City Council District 6 · 1 seat

All Irvine voters pick one candidate for mayor. Voters who live in District 1, 5 or 6 also pick one candidate for their district's council seat. Each race is won by the top vote-getter.

7 notes on these statements

Steven Alves previously served as chief of staff to Vice Mayor James Mai. The Irvine Times · Sep 9, 2026

Vice Mayor James Mai and Councilmember Mike Carroll are listed as endorsers on John Park's campaign site. John Park campaign site

Vice Mayor James Mai and Councilmember Mike Carroll are listed as endorsers on Steven Alves's campaign site. Steven Alves campaign site

Councilmembers Melinda Liu and Betty Martinez Franco are listed as endorsers on Kathleen Treseder's campaign site. Kathleen Treseder campaign site

John Park did not submit answers to The Vine's District 1 questionnaire before publication. The Vine · Sep 24, 2026

Byron Salvatierra did not return The Vine's requests to take part in its District 5 questionnaire. The Vine · Sep 25, 2026

Qualified write-in candidates may file between Sept. 7 and Oct. 20, 2026. City of Irvine

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Mike CarrollCouncilmember, District 4; term ends 20284sourcedWilliam GoCouncilmember, District 2; term ends 20286sourcedJames MaiVice Mayor, District 3; term ends 20287sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz6 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesBudget deficit, Orange County Power Authority, Ranked-choice voting (Measure D)Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

Get your Irvine ballot cheat-sheet

Candidates, positions and dates in one email, sent now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots available

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

Budget deficit

Where it standsStaff project General Fund deficits growing to over $47 million a year by 2030; the council balanced fiscal 2026-27 with vacancies, fees and one-time funds.

What's on the tableHow to close the long-term gap: spending cuts, a hiring freeze, new fees, a possible tax measure, and outside audits.

Orange County Power Authority

Where it standsIrvine voted 5-2 in September 2025 to stay in the Orange County Power Authority, reversing a December 2024 decision to withdraw.

What's on the tableWhether to stay in OCPA or restart withdrawal, and how to enforce repayment of the city's $7.5 million loan to the agency.

Ranked-choice voting (Measure D)

Where it standsMeasure D on the Nov. 3 ballot asks whether Irvine should use ranked-choice voting for mayor and council elections after Jan. 1, 2028.

What's on the tableIf Measure D passes, the council would oversee the switch, including whether the cost exceeds the measure's limit and the change is deferred.

  • The council voted 4-3 in July 2026 to place the measure on the ballot; Carroll, Mai and Agran voted no. Voice of OC · Jul 21, 2026
  • If implementation costs exceed a limit of roughly $750,000, a safeguard would delay the switch; the city's last general election cost about $340,000. Voice of OC · Jul 21, 2026
  • The measure directs ranked-choice voting only to the extent technically and financially feasible. City of Irvine

Irvine CONNECT shuttle

Where it standsThe city runs a free Irvine CONNECT shuttle and voted in April 2025 to plan two new routes, including a Jamboree-UCI route.

What's on the tableWhether to fund new or expanded shuttle routes while the city faces a deficit.

Great Park development

Where it standsIn December 2025 the council approved, 4-3, a land swap with FivePoint allowing 1,300 market-rate homes in the Great Park; the city receives $15 million.

What's on the tableHow to spend the $15 million, whether to build a Great Park library, and how to run new Great Park programs like paid parking.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. City staff project General Fund deficits that could reach $47 million a year by 2030. Should the city impose an immediate hiring freeze outside public safety?

  2. 2. Should the city ask voters to approve a new or higher tax, such as a sales or utility tax, to help close the deficit?

  3. 3. Should the city pay an outside firm to audit past city spending?

  4. 4. Irvine is a founding member of the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), the public agency that buys electricity for Irvine customers unless they opt out to Southern California Edison. Should Irvine leave OCPA?

  5. 5. Measure D asks whether Irvine should use ranked-choice voting for mayor and council elections after Jan. 1, 2028, if technically and financially feasible. Should Irvine switch?

  6. 6. Should Irvine add new routes to its free Irvine CONNECT shuttle?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

3 stay (not up this year): Mike Carroll, William Go, James Mai4 on this ballot

7 council seats. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • In March 2024 Irvine voters approved a charter amendment expanding the council from five to seven members: a mayor elected at-large and six councilmembers elected by district. City of Irvine
  • Councilmembers serve four-year terms and the mayor serves a two-year term; elected officials are limited to two terms. City of Irvine
  • The Nov. 3, 2026 election fills the mayor's seat and the District 1, District 5 and District 6 council seats. City of Irvine
  • Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 held their first district elections in November 2024; District 5 held a special election in April 2025. City of Irvine

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

Take your ballot with you

Who is on your ballot, where each candidate stands, and the dates that matter, in one email you can carry to the polls. Sent right now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.