- ocvote.gov (opens in a new tab)OC Registrar of Voters — Contest/Candidate Proof List, General Election 11/3/2026 (169 contests, 430 candidates filed)
- cityofirvine.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Irvine -- November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election Information page: confirms a Mayor (2-year term) and one Councilmember each for Districts 1, 5, and 6 (4-year terms) as Irvine's four November 2026 races; nomination period closed Aug. 7, 2026, write-in period Sept. 7-Oct. 20, 2026
- cityofirvine.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Irvine -- Qualified Candidates for Mayor and City Council (Ballot Order), updated 8/13/2026 (the day of the Secretary of State's randomized-alphabet drawing): the certified nine-candidate roster across Mayor and Districts 1, 5, and 6, with each candidate's filed ballot designation
- cityofirvine.gov (opens in a new tab)City of Irvine -- the same Ballot Order document's full first-person candidate statements for all nine qualified candidates, filed with and published by the City Clerk
- ocregister.com (opens in a new tab)Orange County Register (Laylan Connelly, with Anita Gosch contributing) -- "Candidate fields take shape for City Council elections in Orange County": staffed, bylined roundup independently naming Irvine's full nine-candidate field across Mayor and Districts 1, 5, and 6, and every incumbency call -- corrects the county candlog's District 5 count from 6 to 5
- vote411.org (opens in a new tab)League of Women Voters -- Vote411 voter guide, 'City of Irvine City Council Member, District 1' race (statewide All Races list): each candidate's self-submitted ballot designation and campaign contacts, plus answers to the League's questions -- top three priorities, qualifying background, and position on Flock cameras or similar devices. No answers were on file at capture. Capture in data/nov-2026/sources/vote411/irvine-council-1.json.
Last updated October 6, 2026.
City of Irvine
Irvine City Council, District 1
This person holds your district's seat on Irvine's 7-member City Council. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use, alongside the citywide-elected mayor and five other district councilmembers. The term is four years.
Incumbent Melinda Liu faces challengers John Park and Sukhee Kang for Irvine City Council District 1. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins the seat. There is no runoff.
This person holds District 1's seat on Irvine's 7-member City Council, alongside the citywide-elected mayor and five other district councilmembers. They vote on city ordinances, the budget, and land use. District 1 first elected its own councilmember in 2024, to an abbreviated two-year term meant to line the seat up with the city's regular midterm-year election cycle -- this race is for the district's first full 4-year term.
Liu is campaigning on a short first term's worth of delivered projects. Park, a city finance commissioner endorsed by the Orange County Sheriff, is campaigning against what he calls City Hall's "costly pet projects" amid a budget shortfall he says is coming. Kang, a two-term former Irvine mayor and councilmember more recently a federal GSA regional administrator, is seeking a return to city government after leading Irvine through the Great Recession.
Melinda Liu
Melinda Liu is an attorney and Irvine's incumbent District 1 councilmember. She points to opening the district's first community center and library and expanded shuttle service. She won a first, shorter two-year term in 2024.
John Park
John Park chairs Irvine's finance commission and previously served as Planning and Transportation Commissioner. He is campaigning on fiscal responsibility, citing a nearly $50 million deficit facing the city. He is a 26-year District 1 resident endorsed by Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes.
Sukhee Kang
Sukhee Kang, a more than three-decade resident, served two prior terms as mayor and councilmember. Their priorities are responsible spending, public safety, public transportation, businesses, open space, and thoughtful growth. They say they led Irvine through the Great Recession and secured $121 million for transportation.
Your pick
A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.