Vice Mayor Larry Agran was certified as the winner of Irvine’s 2024 mayoral election on Dec. 3, becoming the city’s 11th directly elected mayor after the Orange County Registrar of Voters certified the results. The victory marks Agran’s sixth nonconsecutive term in the city’s highest office.
Agran, with 38% of the vote, defeated six other candidates: fellow Councilmember Tammy Kim, local business owner Ron Scolesdang, realtor Akshat “AB” Bhatia, Irvine Finance Commissioner Lee Sun, automation project manager Felipe Delgado and retired certified public accountant Wing Chow. Agran declared victory in an Instagram post to his supporters on Nov. 13.
“We are committed to building on your trust through responsible leadership, good governance and a dedication to serving Irvine residents,” Agran wrote.
Kim, who sought to draw sharp contrasts between herself and Agran throughout the course of her campaign, placed second with 34% of the vote. She issued a concession statement on Nov. 14, acknowledging that incoming returns showed she would not close the several-thousand-vote gap between herself and Agran.
“This campaign was about more than one election — it was about standing up for our values, amplifying our voices, and driving meaningful change for our community,” Kim wrote. “I am incredibly proud of what we accomplished together, and I remain fully committed to serving and supporting Irvine.”
Scolesdang, who placed third with 11% of the vote, conceded on Nov. 12, congratulating Agran and stating that his “commitment to Irvine and our community remains as strong as ever.”
Bhatia, Chow, Delgado and Sun did not issue statements on the result of the race.
Agran returns to the mayorship after 20 years, pledging careful planning and adherence to the Irvine Master Plan. He appealed to voters who were concerned about the scale of new developments, promising to “protect … local neighborhoods and prevent gridlocked traffic and overcrowded schools.”
His approach to affordable housing largely reflected that vision, telling New University he would support an “instant affordability” initiative through the Irvine Company to provide lower rents on existing units. However, he opposed a city-backed plan back in August to rapidly add more units, frustrating voters who believed increased development was the ideal solution to address the need for affordable housing. Other candidates also took shots, with Kim frequently criticizing Agran’s approach and labeling him a “NIMBY” — an acronym for “not in my backyard” — for his opposition to housing development.
Agran has also pledged to withdraw Irvine from the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA), the energy provider that Irvine residents are automatically enrolled with. In a previous comment to New University, he cited that OCPA had failed to provide full transparency and had not delivered on promises of clean electricity at lower rates than Southern California Edison.
Agran will officially take office during the Irvine City Council’s reorganizational meeting on Dec. 10. He will be joined by members of the newly expanded council, representing Irvine’s newly created districts: Melinda Liu from District 1, William Go from District 2, James Mai from District 3 and Councilmember Mike Carroll from District 4. Councilmember Kathleen Treseder will remain on the council for another two years, representing District 6.
A special election to fill the District 5 vacancy will be held on April 15, 2025.
Kian Momeny is a News Intern for the fall 2024 quarter.. He can be reached at kmomeny@uci.edu.
Edited by Karen Wang and Jaheem Conley.