Irvine City Council District 1 · Nov 3, 2026

Melinda Liu

Candidate for City Council District 1 (incumbent)

12 candidates · 4 seats8 sourced positions

Melinda Liu, the incumbent, is running for Irvine City Council District 1 in the Nov 3, 2026 election, against Sukhee Kang and John Park.

Vote-by-mail ballots available · Mon, Oct 5, 2026

Today

District 1 councilmember since 2024. Attorney who previously worked for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Occupation (from candidate statement): City of Irvine Councilmember/Attorney
Endorsed by: Lists U.S. Reps. Dave Min, Mike Levin and Lou Correa, State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Supervisor Katrina Foley, and Irvine Councilmembers William Go and Kathleen Treseder, among others. Melinda Liu campaign site
Campaign website: www.liu4irvine.com

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

Where Melinda Liu stands: positions on the record

Budget1 sourced position

As reported by Voice of OC
Said in April 2026 that the council should get more information before acting on the deficit.
“Lets get a diagnosis before we start treatment”
Own statementVoice of OC · Apr 15, 2026

Energy2 sourced positions

Voted yes to rescind Irvine's planned withdrawal from the Orange County Power Authority (passed 5-2, Sept. 2025).
Council voteIrvine City Council minutes, Sept. 9, 2025 · Sep 9, 2025
As reported by Voice of OC
Argued for staying in the Orange County Power Authority so residents can choose their electricity provider.
“We’re talking about the ability to choose — if you feel like paying SCE, pay for it.”
Own statementVoice of OC · Sep 25, 2025

Ranked-choice voting1 sourced position

Voted yes to place the ranked-choice voting measure on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot (passed 4-3, July 2026).
Council voteIrvine City Council minutes, July 14, 2026 · Jul 14, 2026

Transit1 sourced position

Voted yes to have staff plan two new Irvine CONNECT shuttle routes, including a Jamboree-UCI route (passed 4-2, April 2025).
Council voteIrvine City Council minutes, April 22, 2025 · Apr 22, 2025

Great Park1 sourced position

Voted yes on the Great Park land swap with the developer that allows 1,300 new homes and removed a columbarium from park planning (passed 4-3, Dec. 2025).
Council voteVoice of OC · Dec 12, 2025

Immigration services1 sourced position

Voted yes on creating the Irvine Immigration Assistance Program with an initial $100,000 for legal help (passed 5-2, Feb. 2026).
Council voteIrvine City Council minutes, Feb. 24, 2026 · Feb 24, 2026

Governance1 sourced position

Answer to The Vine's candidate questionnaire
Says she proposed a citizen-led charter amendment committee and agreed to continue the item by 8 weeks.
Own statementThe Vine · Sep 24, 2026

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

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.