3 incumbents reelected to Huntington Beach council, but newcomer Carr pushes out O’Connell

By Priscella Vega

Nov. 7, 2018 12:10 PM PT

Three incumbents — Mayor Mike Posey, Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize and Mayor Pro Tem Erik Peterson — and one newcomer, Kim Carr, won election to the Huntington Beach City Council on Tuesday. Councilman Billy O’Connell did not retain his seat.

Posey netted the most votes among the 15 candidates for four available spots, earning 13.5% with all precincts reporting.

Coming in second was Delgleize, who captured 11.6% of the vote. Kim Carr, a city public works commissioner, earned 10.5%, just ahead of Mayor Pro Tem Erik Peterson, who had 10.3%.

O’Connell, the only incumbent who didn’t win, collected 8.1%.

The four winners will be sworn in next month to serve four-year terms.

High-density development, homelessness and pensions dominated this season’s election forums as candidates shared their visions for Surf City.

Posey said his town hall meetings, “meet the mayor” events and messages of pushing back against state government overreach and regaining and retaining local control resonated with voters.

In the past few months, Posey directed City Attorney Michael Gates to research ways to push back on various bills that could encroach on Huntington’s autonomy. He also helped spearhead a lawsuit against California’s “sanctuary” immigration policies.

“That was my theme all year as mayor and it was validated by voters,” Posey said Wednesday.

He said he plans to continue holding town halls to help educate residents on the happenings of local government.

Carr credited the “grassroots community movement” of volunteers for helping her land in the top four. She said she spent three hours knocking on 80 doors on Election Day.

“We stayed … in our lane and ignored a lot of the chatter going on around us,” Carr said. “We had a clean campaign and stayed focused.”

Carr’s platform included fighting high-density development, repairing aging infrastructure and maintaining open spaces and public safety but said her top priority will be addressing homelessness in the city.

She received endorsements from the Huntington Beach Firefighters Assn., the Democratic Party of Orange County, the Orange County League of Conservation Voters and more.

O’Connell — who was elected in 2014 in his third run for office — said Wednesday that he is most proud of advocating for public safety “when nobody else was there.”

The former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy said residents should still expect to see him active in the community.

“I’m a man of service; we don’t go away,” he said.

Just behind O’Connell in the race, with 8% of the vote, was city Finance Commissioner Ron Sterud, who pitched himself as one of two candidates (Peterson being the other) with a “perfect track record” of fighting high-density development in Huntington Beach. He was endorsed by Peterson, Gates, Councilwoman Lyn Semeta and the Huntington Beach Republican Assembly.