Key Points
- Eight candidates have emerged to contest four Newport Beach City Council seats that will be available in the November 2026 election.
- There are four incumbents who are contesting again, including the mayor Lauren Kleiman in District 6.
- The majority of the candidates are Republicans but there has been heated debates in the city about issues of housing, surf park, and site of police headquarters.
- Andy Gerken, a retired surgeon and a Democrat, is challenging Kleiman for the District 6 seat.
- District 3 is the most contested seat because two Republicans are contesting against an incumbent Erik Weigand.
- Robyn Grant is contesting unopposed for the second time in District 4.
- A voter initiative for housing is set to come up in November ballot after a court decision.
Newport City Council (Wales Times) August 20, 2026 – When uk/local/newport/">Newport Beach voters head to the polls in November, they will decide among eight City Council candidates vying for four open seats. A candidate list made available online by the City Clerk’s office shows those who qualified ahead of the Aug. 7 filing deadline, as reported by the Daily Pilot. Newport Beach elects council members citywide to represent seven council districts — a departure from many Orange County cities with neighborhood-specific voting boundaries. Though council seats are nonpartisan, the current panel is entirely Republican. Most of the eight candidates — incumbent or not — running in November are also Republicans. Nevertheless, the city has seen passionate debates about housing, a controversial surf park, the location of a new police headquarters and other civic issues.
Who Are the Candidates Running for Newport Beach City Council?
Mayor Lauren Kleiman is running for re-election in District 6, Corona del Mar. In a ballot statement, she touts a dramatic decrease in homelessness, declining crime, enhanced safety zones to police holiday crowds, and tighter regulations on smoke shops, according to the Daily Pilot. She faces Dr. Andy Gerken, a retired surgeon and rare Democrat in the race. Gerken’s campaign website champions protecting Civic Center Park from becoming the site of the next police station, more staffing and social media surveillance to prevent a future Fourth of July fracas and an end to what he described as taxpayer-funded ‘vanity videos.’
The most competitive race is in District 3, which includes Santa Ana Heights, Dover Shores and Castaways. There, two Republicans are vying to unseat Councilmember Erik Weigand, a Republican. Republican challenger Walter Stahr, an author and historian, has emerged as a vocal critic of moving Fire Station No. 3 off Santa Barbara Drive to a bus station hub near Fashion Island. He argues that such a swap would diminish Fire Department response times in Eastbluff.
Tim Stoaks, another Republican hopeful, is making a second bid for office after coming up short 26 votes against Marshall ‘Duffy’ Duffield in 2018. Hoping to fare better this time around, the retired construction executive counts himself among the critics of a potential police headquarters built atop Civic Center Park. Stoaks also wants to relieve traffic congestion in Corona del Mar and expand senior services.
Like Kleiman, Weigand is highlighting the drop in homelessness, according to the most recent count. He also wants to fully staff first-responders and improve response times. In District 1, which includes the Balboa Peninsula and West Newport, Councilmember Joe Stapleton is seeking reelection. He served as mayor, a position that rotates among council members, in 2025. Stapleton touted ‘tough anti-camping laws’ for the decline in homelessness. A former harbor commissioner, he wants to revitalize Newport Harbor and keep public safety funded.
Businesswoman Tina Babajanians decided to run in District 1 after unruly crowds disrupted the peninsula over spring break and the Fourth of July. A self-described independent who runs Deli Nerds in Costa Mesa, she lists protecting public safety and preserving quality of life as campaign pledges. Rounding out the races is Robyn Grant, another Republican incumbent. For the second time in a row, she is running unopposed in District 4, which includes Eastbluff and Big Canyon.
What Issues Are Dominating the Newport Beach City Council Election 2026?
The Newport Beach City Council election 2026 is being shaped by several key issues that have sparked debate among residents and candidates alike. Housing has emerged as a central topic, particularly following a recent court ruling that allows a resident initiative to give voters more input on development to proceed to the November ballot. As reported by the Orange County Register, an Orange County Superior Court judge said after a hearing on Wednesday, Aug. 19, that the community group that collected the signatures to put the initiative to voters had met the requirement to make the ballot.
The city challenged in court whether a notice placed by a community group, known as the Newport Beach Stewardship Association for their ‘Responsible Housing Initiative,’ complied with the elections code. City officials filed a legal brief in June, suggesting it didn’t, because the notice announcing it and its collection-of-signatures requirement were not published in what the city perceived as its paper of record, the Daily Pilot. ‘The court found that the proponents substantially complied with the Election Code publication requirements,’ City Attorney Aaron Harp said. Harp said the city intends to ask an appeals court to consider the question.
Efforts to get the initiative on the ballot came after resident activists questioned the city’s current state-approved housing plan and suggested amending it by giving voters a chance to weigh in on their proposal that would allow for new housing units at an amount ‘that more than meets’ state mandates, its supporters argue, but removes a buffer of additional units the city has built in. The state has allocated 4,845 units to Newport Beach for planning, but the city has approved zoning and development standards that could accommodate up to 8,174 new homes. City officials have said they included a buffer in the event a project falls through.
Other issues dominating the election include the location of a new police headquarters, with several candidates opposing the potential construction atop Civic Center Park. Public safety has also been a key theme, particularly following unruly crowds during spring break and the Fourth of July celebrations. Candidates have also focused on homelessness, with incumbents highlighting recent declines in the homeless population.
Background of the Newport Beach City Council Election 2026 Development
The Newport Beach City Council election 2026 comes at a time when the city is grappling with several significant challenges that have divided residents and officials. The city’s approach to housing development has been particularly contentious, with the state mandating that Newport Beach plan for 4,845 new housing units. In response, city officials approved zoning and development standards that could accommodate up to 8,174 new homes, including a buffer in case some projects fall through. This decision has sparked opposition from some residents who formed the Newport Beach Stewardship Association to push for their ‘Responsible Housing Initiative.’
The initiative seeks to give voters more direct input on development decisions, arguing that the current approach includes unnecessary additional units beyond state requirements. The group successfully collected the required number of signatures to place the initiative on the ballot, though the city challenged the validity of the petition in court, arguing that the public notice was not properly published in what the city considers its paper of record, the Daily Pilot. The court’s recent ruling in favor of the initiative proponents means that voters will have the opportunity to decide on this measure in November, alongside the City Council elections.
The election also takes place against a backdrop of ongoing debates about public safety, particularly following incidents of unruly crowds during major holidays. The city has implemented enhanced safety zones to police holiday crowds, and candidates have made public safety a central theme of their campaigns. Additionally, the potential relocation of Fire Station No. 3 and the construction of a new police headquarters have become flashpoints in the election, with candidates taking different positions on these infrastructure decisions.
Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Newport Beach Voters
The outcome of the Newport Beach City Council election 2026 could have significant implications for the city’s residents, particularly in areas such as housing development, public safety, and infrastructure planning. If the ‘Responsible Housing Initiative’ passes alongside the election of candidates who support it, voters may gain more direct control over development decisions, potentially slowing the pace of new housing construction in the city. This could affect housing availability and affordability for residents, as well as the city’s ability to meet state-mandated housing requirements.
The election results could also influence the city’s approach to public safety, with candidates who emphasize stricter enforcement of anti-camping laws and enhanced holiday crowd control likely to shape policy if elected. Additionally, the debate over the location of the new police headquarters and the potential relocation of Fire Station No. 3 could determine how emergency services are distributed across the city, affecting response times and public safety in different neighborhoods.
For voters in District 3, where the most competitive race is taking place, the outcome could determine the direction of fire department infrastructure decisions, with challenger Walter Stahr opposing the relocation of Fire Station No. 3. In District 6, the race between incumbent Mayor Lauren Kleiman and challenger Dr. Andy Gerken could influence the city’s approach to Civic Center Park and the location of the new police headquarters. Overall, the election results will shape the city’s policy priorities for the next term, affecting everything from housing development to public safety and infrastructure planning.
