City of Irvine

Irvine City Council, District 5

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 Betty Martinez Franco faces four challengers in Irvine's District 5. They are Anthony Kuo, Steven Alves, Byron Salvatierra, and Julie Glossbrenner. Whoever gets the most votes on November 3 wins, with no runoff.

This person holds District 5'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. The term is four years.

Martinez Franco is campaigning for a second term on a personal story of hardship and recovery in Irvine, plus a record that includes protecting the University Park Library and launching a bike-share pilot. Kuo is a former at-large councilmember seeking a comeback after leaving office amid a budget surplus he says he helped return to taxpayers. Alves and Salvatierra both emphasize decades of roots in the district's Woodbridge neighborhood and experience close to city government -- as a Vice Mayor's chief of staff and an Irvine Police Department public-safety assistant, respectively. Glossbrenner, a housing specialist, emphasizes professional contract- and budget-review experience and community volunteer work.

Betty Martinez Franco

Martinez Franco has been on the council since December 2022. They point to more senior support, a bike-share program, and saving the University Park Library. They say Human Options helped them find housing after they survived domestic violence.

Anthony Kuo

Kuo served four years on the Irvine council, at-large. He runs on fiscal discipline, quality of life, and affordability. He says he helped return roughly $5 million of a nearly $30 million surplus.

Steven Alves

Alves owns a small business and is a 31-year Woodbridge resident. Their priorities are a balanced budget, public safety, infrastructure, and the University Park Library. They were Chief of Staff to Irvine's Vice Mayor, working on the budget deficit.

Byron Salvatierra

Salvatierra is a cybersecurity manager and 40-year Irvine resident. They want to build out Irvine's own library system and a more open budget. They are an Iraq War veteran and worked as a Public Safety Assistant.

Julie Glossbrenner

Glossbrenner is a housing specialist and UC Irvine graduate. Their priorities are public safety, open space, responsible growth, and quality of life. They say their work on proposals and contracts applies to city budgets.

Your pick

A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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