2024 Irvine elections
The 2024 Irvine elections were held on March 5, 2024, and November 5, 2024. In the March primary, voters approved [|Measure D], expanding the Irvine City Council from five to seven members and transitioning the city from at-large to by-district elections.
Measure D took effect in time for the November general election, creating four new council districts — three of which would elect representatives to four-year terms, and one short-term seat to be contested again in 2026. The mayoralty was also on the ballot.
Municipal elections in California are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot, but every major candidate was registered with or endorsed by a major political party.
Mayor
The 2024 mayoral election was held on November 5, 2024 and coincided with elections for city council. Incumbent mayor Farrah Khan, who was first sworn into office in 2020, could not seek re-election due to term limits. Councilmember Larry Agran defeated fellow councilmember Tammy Kim and was sworn in as Mayor on December 10, 2024.City council
District 1
District 1 covers north Irvine, including Orchard Hills, West Irvine, Northpark, Stonegate, and parts of Northwood. It was designated as a short-term seat, to be contested again in 2026.The race was competitive, with five candidates — three of whom held or had held city commission seats. Key issues included traffic congestion on Jeffrey Road, preservation of open space in Orchard Hills, and fire risk management.
Candidates
- Melinda Liu, City of Irvine commissioner and Attorney.
- John Park, business owner, Irvine Transportation Commissioner, and perennial candidate.
- Michelle Johnson, Irvine Planning Commissioner and business owner.
- Jackie Kan, small business owner.
- Jeff Kitchen, Systems engineer.
District 2
District 2 covers portions of central and southeastern Irvine, including Great Park, parts of Cypress Village, Woodbury and areas adjacent to the Irvine Spectrum.During the campaign, Irvine Watchdog reported that Yazdani had filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in April 2024, resulting in the discharge of approximately $900,000 in state and federal tax debt, as well as related fines. Subsequent reporting by the Orange Juice Blog detailed an ongoing civil lawsuit in which a creditor alleged that Yazdani had misrepresented her ownership role in a business when obtaining loans, and sought to have the debt declared non-dischargeable due to fraud and misappropriation claims. Yazdani filed a response in court denying all allegations. The reports drew media and community attention in the weeks leading up to the election.
Candidates
- William Go, Irvine commissioner and businessowner.
- Jeff Starke, City of Irvine finance commissioner.
- Gang Chen, architect, author and businessman.
- Parrisa Yazdani, City of Irvine commissioner, businesswoman.
- Mohamed Kothermydeen, IT service manager.
Withdrawn
- Alex Mohajer, nonprofit executive and former candidate for the California State Senate in 2024. Mohajer ended his campaign in July 2024, announcing plans to relocate to Arizona to work on voter outreach efforts ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
District 3
District 3 is located in central and north-central Irvine, including neighborhoods such as Walnut Village and portions of El Camino Real.Candidates
- James Mai, Irvine commissioner and businessman.
- Tom Chomyn, Community Services Commissioner.
- Jing Sun, Irvine commissioner.
District 4
District 4 encompasses southwestern Irvine, including Quail Hill, Turtle Rock, portions of University Park, Irvine Spectrum and areas bordering Laguna Canyon. Incumbent Mike Carroll, previously elected at-large in 2020, sought and won re-election to the district seat.The contest was one of the most closely watched in the city, with Carroll facing sustainability commissioner Ayn Craciun. The campaign drew renewed scrutiny amid questions about Carroll’s use of his official city portrait on campaign materials,raising concerns about blurring the boundary between public duty and campaign activity.
This was not Carroll’s first such controversy. In late 2020, he came under fire for using approximately $70,000 from his staff budget on city mailers that critics argued served to promote his political profile rather than purely inform constituents. Following the backlash, the City Council in January 2021 approved new budget policies—by a 4–1 vote—that shifted oversight responsibilities to the city manager, aiming to increase transparency and accountability for council members' spending.
Candidates
- Mike Carroll, incumbent Irvine City Councilmember.
- Ayn Craciun, nonprofit director and Chair of the Irvine Sustainability Commission.
Ballot measures
Measure D
Measure D was a charter amendment placed before Irvine voters in the March 5, 2024 primary election. It proposed expanding the Irvine City Council from five to seven members, including the mayor and six councilmembers, and changing the electoral system so that the six councilmembers would be elected by individual districts rather than at large. The measure passed with approximately 59.8 percent of the vote.The measure stipulates that if a councilmember elected at large—but residing in District 5 or District 6—vacates their seat, the position must be filled through a by‑district special municipal election. Following the election of Councilmember Larry Agran to mayor a special election was held on April 15, 2025, to fill the remainder of his term for District 5.