Newport Beach, CAVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Newport Beach City Council Election 2026

4 of 7

council seats up

4 contests

8 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.

City Council District 1 · 1 seat

City Council District 3 · 1 seat

City Council District 4 · Unopposed

City Council District 6 · 1 seat

Every Newport Beach voter votes in all four contests (Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6), choosing one candidate per district; the top vote-getter in each district wins.

5 notes on these statements

Mayor Lauren Kleiman did not attend the Sept. 3 Chamber of Commerce forum because of a Southern California Association of Governments meeting. Daily Pilot · Sep 3, 2026

Robyn Grant, unopposed, gave a brief statement at the Sept. 3 forum and left the stage to the contested races. Daily Pilot · Sep 3, 2026

Mayor Kleiman and Councilmembers Blom, Barto, Grant and Weber are listed as endorsers on Joe Stapleton's campaign site. Joe Stapleton campaign site

Grant has received campaign contributions from District 6 candidate Andy Gerken, the Lincoln Club of Orange County and lobbyist Jeff Flint. Daily Pilot · Oct 1, 2026

Noah Blom is term-limited; his term ends in 2028. City of Newport Beach

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Michelle BartoCouncilmember, District 2 (term 2024 to 2028)10sourcedNoah BlomMayor Pro Tem, District 5 (term 2024 to 2028, term-limited); 2023 Mayor11sourcedSara J. WeberCouncilmember, District 7 (term 2024 to 2028)13sourced

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

Start here

Match quiz5 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesNew police headquarters, Housing plan and Measure H, Term limits, district voting and open meetings (Measures P, Q, R)Key datesDeadlines and vote centers

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Next date

Vote-by-mail ballots available

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

New police headquarters

Where it standsThe council is studying Civic Center Park as the site of a new police headquarters; an advisory committee with resident members is also reviewing other sites.

What's on the tableWhere to build the new headquarters, and whether to keep spending on design and environmental review for the Civic Center Park site.

Housing plan and Measure H

Where it standsMeasure H, a resident initiative on the Nov. 3 ballot, would cut the units in the city's state-approved housing plan and plan for 2,900 affordable units in five areas.

What's on the tableIf Measure H passes, the council must carry it out and may have to update the housing plan if the state requires it; if it fails, the council's adopted plan stays.

Term limits, district voting and open meetings (Measures P, Q, R)

Where it standsA court ordered three resident initiatives onto a separate city-run Nov. 3 special election after the council voted to hold them until 2028.

What's on the tableThe next council will carry out whichever measures pass, including a possible switch to district-only voting and new open-meetings rules.

Public safety after July 4

Where it standsAfter the July 4, 2026 unrest, the council introduced new rules for high-risk holidays and large crowds, including a minors' curfew, on a 7-0 vote.

What's on the tableHow to police holiday crowds and whether to add a council public safety committee.

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. The city is studying Civic Center Park as the site of a new police headquarters to replace the aging station on Santa Barbara Drive. Should the new headquarters go in Civic Center Park?

  2. 2. Measure H would amend the General Plan to plan for 2,900 affordable housing units in five areas, in place of the larger housing plan the council adopted. Should it pass?

  3. 3. Measure P would limit council members to two terms in a lifetime. Today they may serve two consecutive terms, then must sit out four years. Which rule should Newport Beach have?

  4. 4. The council often forms ad hoc committees made up only of council members, for example on the police headquarters. Should it keep doing so?

  5. 5. After the July 4, 2026 crowd unrest, should the council create an ad hoc public safety committee to work with police and fire on recommendations?

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): Michelle Barto, Noah Blom, Sara J. Weber4 on this ballot

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

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

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