Meet the 2026 Candidates for District 1
The candidates answered the same questions about their backgrounds, priorities and plans for Irvine.
Irvine’s District 1 will be elected by residents of District 1. Melinda Liu is the incumbent, elected to the City Council in 2024. Sukhee Kang does not currently hold elected office (previously elected as Irvine mayor in 2008 to 2010).
John Park is also a candidate for District 1. He did not submit answers before publication but has since said he plans to send them. This guide will be updated if his answers arrive.
Not sure which district you’re in? Find out here.
Sukhee Kang
Photo credit Sukhee Kang
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I've called Irvine home for over three decades, since 1986. I originally moved here to be close to my sister, who had just relocated from Santa Ana. What started as a family decision turned into a lifelong commitment to make this city the best place on Earth.
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Immigrating to America as a Korean-American taught me this truly is the land of opportunity. That gratitude pushed me into advocacy and policy work. One day, while meeting with city leaders, the opportunity to run for office presented itself. That led to a career of successful terms as Councilmember, Mayor, and a Presidential appointee. That same commitment to delivering results is why I'm running again.
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Voters may not know the full story behind my gratitude for the opportunities this country gave me as a young immigrant and continue to give me today. I actually wrote about it in my book, The Power of Possibility: My American Journey. I hope it resonates with and inspires a new generation of Americans still grappling with many of the same challenges I once faced.
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Irvine's budget deficit is the most urgent issue facing our city. In my first year, I'll push an updated staffing and ethics policy that ends the practice of giving each councilmember over $600,000 in discretionary funds. That alone redirects millions back toward real services for residents instead of political spending that taxpayers dollars get wasted on.
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I would not have approved these wasteful audits that were passed in the name of addressing the budget deficit. They won't close this deficit. They'll add to it, since audits cost money and staff time we can't spare. Many of these expenses were already reviewed by outside agencies and bodies as part of a regular process. Meanwhile, the council raised new fees, like parking, to cover the same deficit. That combination is simply the wrong direction for Irvine.
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Success would firstly mean getting Irvine out of this deficit. Then, we can actually invest our efforts in our public transit, public schools, and housing. I also want residents to see state and federal dollars being brought back for those priorities, through the kind of collaboration that delivered results for Irvine when I was Mayor and a presidential appointee.
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My favorite place is the Marketplace, right here in District 1. It captures everything I love about Irvine: diverse restaurants, open outdoor space, and small businesses thriving side by side. It's exactly the kind of place where people can “live, work, and play.” A close second is the Irvine Global Village Festival, which grows every year and celebrates our city’s diversity that is unmatched worldwide. The Global Village Festival is something I am immensely proud of!
John Park
Photo credit John Park Campaign
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My family and I have lived in District 1 continuously for 26 years, first in Northpark for 16 years, and now in Orchard Hills for the past 10. We were living in nearby Newport Beach at the time, and after looking at the surrounding cities, we chose Irvine as the place to put down permanent roots for everything it offered. All three of our children were born and raised here.
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Serving on Irvine's Finance, Planning, and Transportation Commissions over the years gave me a front row seat to how this city actually operates, and where it has started to drift. As Finance Commission Chairman, I watched our budget challenges grow year over year, and I kept waiting for that to become the council's clear top priority. It never quite did.
Running my own business for over 20 years shaped the rest. I have had to meet payroll, manage a budget through good years and bad, and make hard calls when resources did not match ambitions. That is a different kind of experience than most people bring to City Hall, and I think Irvine needs it right now.
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Underneath every title on my resume, Finance Commissioner, business owner, community volunteer, I am a dad first. That has shaped this campaign more than people probably realize. When I think about fiscal responsibility, traffic relief, or fire mitigation, I am not thinking about them as policy positions. I am thinking about the city my kids will inherit, and whether it will still be the safe, well run place we chose to raise them in. Running for office is not separate from that. It is an extension of it. I want Irvine to remain the kind of city worth protecting and preserving for the next generation, not just mine.
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The most important issue facing Irvine is fixing this budget deficit without asking residents to pay more. The city has already priced out four tax increases, including a sales tax hike to 9.25 percent and a sevenfold jump in the utility users tax, and it has quietly added new fees on things like paying your city bill with a debit card or using a playground that used to be free. I do not believe residents should bear the cost of decisions the council majority has made, and I pledge in writing to vote no on new taxes.
In my first year, the fix comes from the city's side of the ledger first. The city added 1,113 full-time positions in six years using one-time money it admits is gone, so I would push for a hiring freeze outside public safety and direct resident service, and I would keep voting for an independent forensic audit until it finally passes. Fixing this budget starts with discipline at City Hall, not new costs on residents
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I would have handled the vote rejecting an independent forensic audit differently. The council rejected it on a 3-3 tie, and two members even voted against producing a basic deficit report. On top of that, the Finance Commission, the body that exists specifically to review the city's finances, was never sent the budget documents or asked to weigh in at all on the biggest financial decision Irvine has faced in years.
I served on that commission. I chaired it. Residents deserve numbers that someone has actually verified, not just the city's own internal projections. An outside audit costs relatively little compared to the size of the problem, and skipping both the audit and the commission that is supposed to catch exactly this kind of issue was the wrong call. I would have voted for the audit and insisted the Finance Commission be brought in before, not after, a decision this significant. -
Judge me by whether Irvine's budget is actually balanced without new taxes or fees on residents, using real numbers that have been independently verified, not projections built on hope. If I have not pushed through a forensic audit, closed the structural gap between spending and revenue, and kept my written pledge against new taxes, I will not have done the job I asked for.
Beyond the budget, judge me on whether District 1 residents have seen real progress on the traffic and infrastructure strain that growth has created, and whether Irvine still feels like the safe, well run city that made people want to move here in the first place. Fiscal responsibility is not an end in itself. It is what allows everything else, public safety, infrastructure, quality of life, to actually get funded and delivered. That is the standard I want to be held to. -
As a family, we love the Irvine Spectrum. It has been the backdrop for so many ordinary, memorable moments raising our three kids, movie nights, birthday dinners, just walking around on a Saturday afternoon. It is the kind of place that reflects what Irvine does well, safe, well kept, and built for families.
Honestly, it is hard to pick just one favorite event. The Global Village Festival, National Night Out, and the Irvine Korean Cultural Festival all mean something different to our family, and each one captures a different part of what makes this community special, but there are many more great events in this city.
Melinda Liu
Photo credit Melinda Liu
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I've lived in Irvine for 21 years where I raised my three children and moved my elderly parents to care for them. Our jobs took us to Orange County, and we chose to move to Irvine for its safety and education right after we had our third child. After my parents’ health started declining, I convinced them to move to my neighborhood so I could better care for them.
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My idea to bring all the resources for small businesses under one roof came from my experience working as an SBA lawyer. At the same time, I noticed the risk of brain drain when teachers who graduated from my kids’ high school had to commute from Riverside to teach in their own home town. I want to shape policies to create a business-friendly environment with good-paying jobs and an affordable community for young professionals.
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As a young immigrant taking on "adult" responsibilities, I learned the importance of language accessibility and advocacy. My experience in raising children as a working single mother and the primary caregiver to my elderly parents led me to introduce a childcare assistance program for the “missing middle” and to create the senior nutrition and fitness program. My experience in business litigation and as an SBA lawyer shaped my passion in building businesses and entrepreneurship.
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On a high level, the most important issue facing Irvine is changing from a development-based to an innovation entrepreneurship economy. Specifically, policies for the next 50 years must prevent loss of talents due to lack of workforce housing and good-paying jobs. I’ll continue to advocate for economic development to meet this challenge. In District 1, I already passed the plan to build our first community center/ library, and we must find funding to build it.
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At the last council meeting where I proposed to have a citizen-led charter amendment committee, I compromised to continue the item by 8 weeks. My team and I have worked on this idea for 18 months with extensive research and City Attorney’s guidance. The proposal would increase government transparency and democratic participation. When 3 of my colleagues expressed doubt, I should have insisted to avoid further delay past the 2028 primary election.
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My goal as a councilmember is to meet the needs of residents with practical solutions. To achieve this, I make my decisions based on data and research after asking questions with curiosity and listening to residents and experts. My priorities reflect my commitment to public safety, quality of life, and sustainable growth. My success depends on whether I deliver on my promise while maintaining fiscal responsibility and increasing accountability and transparency.
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My favorite Irvine place to visit is the future Gateway Preserve, a hidden gem in District 1. I’ve been on the open space tour several times to admire the breathtaking view and nature. The Irvine Ranch Conservancy has been in partnership with the City in restoration and education for 21 years, and has restored and protected our preserved areas with science, technologies, and compassion. With the new trails, everyone can enjoy nature more easily.