Below you will find every single race that can be found in Laguna Beach, based on the cities covered by the respective agencies. Not all candidates may be on your ballot, but every candidate on your ballot will be here.

If you don’t see a race or a candidate on here that you expected to, it may be the seat is unopposed and not on the ballot.

Click the “+” next to each name to learn more about the candidates.

Laguna Beach

  • Incumbent
    Laguna Beach City Council  (at large election)

    Career: Business Executive - Telecom Industry

    Website: https://www.georgeweisscitycouncil.org/

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeWeiss4CityCouncil/

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/georgeweiss_lb


    Following on Social Media:
    Local businesses and municipalities

    Public Record:

    OC Register 2024 General Election Candidate Questionnaire
    George Weiss, Laguna Beach City Council candidate, 2024 election questionnaire
    Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
    A: Overtourism and the increased traffic — and the negative impacts that has on residents’ quality of life — and our environment. We need to manage our finances better, and the city’s Finance Department itself. To achieve greater productivity and accountability, I proposed performance audits for every city department. The city manager is initiating one for the Finance Department now.


    Q: Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
    A: I serve the residents of Laguna, listen to their concerns, solve their problems, large and small. I treat everyone equally.


    Village Laguna Radio Interview for 2024 election:
    https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/afdd59_18fa2a534d00465ea27c79af8f7a8944.mp3

    Article on George Weiss, Laguna Indy - Aug 2024:
    https://www.georgeweisscitycouncil.org/_files/ugd/afdd59_af95e73411d94617b6d916ddc0eb07e8.pdf

    City Council faces off in forum - Aug 2024:
    https://www.georgeweisscitycouncil.org/_files/ugd/afdd59_3cf154a1c1e140bdb28558fa0b024ff1.pdf

    Incumbent Councilmember comments on Promenade… - Sept 2024:
    https://afdd5974-b7bb-4127-80fe-36659f18598f.usrfiles.com/ugd/afdd59_10547c4688524aeea9d792d2f5edc2f4.pdf

    Laguna Beach Keeps Hostile Workplace Investigation Secret - Nov 2023
    https://voiceofoc.org/2023/11/laguna-beach-keeps-hostile-workplace-investigation-secret/

    Laguna Beach Independent: Letter to Editor
    https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/opinion/letter-bully-for-george/article_1224ec3c-f2a8-5725-b6d8-a3ea597a6747.html

    OC District Attorney Says Laguna Beach City Council Violated Brown Act - Sept 2021
    https://voiceofoc.org/2021/09/oc-district-attorney-says-laguna-beach-city-council-violated-brown-act/

    Council censures Weiss for leaking confidential closed session information - Aug 2021
    https://www.stunewslagunaarchives.com/index.php/archives-prior-to-2024/city-hall-archive/18352-council-censures-weiss-for-leaking-confidential-081321

    Laguna Beach City Council censures George Weiss for closed session leak - Aug 2021
    https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/do-not-import/laguna-beach-city-council-censures-george-weiss-for-closed-session-leak/article_d1198f08-c10a-53a1-8198-e15188d3402c.html

    Laguna Beach City Council Censures Another Colleague - Aug 2021
    https://voiceofoc.org/2021/08/laguna-beach-city-council-censures-another-colleague/



    Priorities (found on web site):
    https://afdd5974-b7bb-4127-80fe-36659f18598f.usrfiles.com/ugd/afdd59_bb8459f645044148baef8bb4fedc2a08.pdf
    ~ Solving Congestion: Plan how to limit so that we can get visitors and residents safely out in an emergency
    ~Crime Mapping:  Ensuring safe neighborhoods means giving residents tools like knowing what crimes are occurring where 
    ~Fire Safety:  Purchase privately owned land in high severity fire zones to reduce the fire risks associated with development in those areas and preserve the green belt for future generations
    ~Fund the City Council passed/promised projects first:  Like the community pool and the $4.2M we have from the County to upgrade the Library 
    ~ Prioritize spending:  Limit which projects to undertake, and fund those that benefit residents the most.
    ~Establish Public/Private partnerships: To fund projects like affordable housing. Our artists, local workers, and seniors deserve affordable rentals.
    ~ Preserve our unique and fragile urban landscapes, open space, ocean and coastline: We moved here for Laguna’s beauty. 
    ~Repair and enhance our infrastructures: Fix our sewer lines so there aren’t any more 3M- gallon raw sewage spills on our beaches and streets. Supporting parks/beaches.  
    ~Responsible development:  Support development that is compatible with the unique architectural character of our town’s buildings and neighborhoods, such as we saw with the renovation of the Rivian Theatre.
    ~Switch to renewable energy whenever possible: We are moving to electrifying our City fleet vehicles and adding more charging stations and solar microgrids per my initiatives. We need to allow residents the right to choose renewable electrical energy over fossil fuels.


    Public Endorsements:

    Village Laguna Radio
    Long list of individual endorsements at the bottom of his site: https://www.georgeweisscitycouncil.org/
    Endorsements made at city council meeting - Sept 2024:
    https://www.georgeweisscitycouncil.org/_files/ugd/afdd59_d8df35e2cf164c7f81093419224ba78d.pdf


    Voting Record:

    Senate Bill 1055 supported by the entire council: https://www.lagunabeachcity.net/home/showpublisheddocument/17899/638442097295870000
    (This bill would incentivize municipalities to meet their affordable housing needs in order to revert to the ministerial approval of 16 foot height limits on attached accessory dwelling units (ADUs).)

    Assembly Bill 2817 supported by entire council:
    https://www.lagunabeachcity.net/home/showpublisheddocument/17897/638442097113970000
    (AB     2817 will give legislative authorization to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to consider relinquishment of a segment of State Route (SR) 1 to the City of Laguna Beach.)



    Priorities:
    He made these changes while in city council so far -
    - Residents reported being treated in an antagonistic manner by our City Council (CC) and Executive staff. I worked to change that, and we now have a more professional Executive City Team and staff than when I started with fewer resident complaints about dismissive treatment.
    - Some texted that they were afraid to speak in front of City Council because of insulting responses made from the dais. I spearheaded civil communication standards.
    - Per complaints about a lack of transparency from CC, I alert residents on upcoming hot topics and email recaps of Council meetings with an explanation of my votes.
    - Residents now receive 12-day advance notice of future agenda items per my initiative.*I protected our library from being moved from its current location.
    - We now have the Rivian theater and community center over some CC members’ objections thanks to my work.
    - I initiated financial assistance for those living or working in Laguna impacted by the pandemic.



    Top Campaign Contributors:
    None Found 



    Ratings:
    None Found

  • Incumbent
    Laguna Beach City Council  (at large election)

    Website: https://www.bobwhalenlagunabeachcitycouncil.com/

    IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobwhalenforcitycouncil/

    Following on Social media:
    Laguna Beach city accounts

    Public Record:

    OC Register 2024 General Election Candidate Questionnaire
    Bob Whalen, Laguna Beach City Council candidate, 2024 election questionnaire
    Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
    A: The biggest short-term need that our city faces is to develop and fund a plan to manage the impact of visitors which has been addressed in a previous question. The biggest long-term need that we have is to develop a plan to upgrade and replace our aging infrastructure as the city approaches 100 years of age and to implement our upcoming climate action and adaptation plan.

    We need to seismically retrofit key city facilities, rebuild fire stations, renovate and expand our police station, upgrade local streets, continue to rebuild beach access stairways, modernize our sewer system and replace the local wastewater treatment plant to provide more recycled water and reduce the discharge of treated water to the ocean. We also need to convert the city’s vehicle fleet to all-electric in accordance with state mandates, make our public buildings more sustainable, add microgrids at key locations and fund wildfire safety improvements. My long career as a lawyer representing public agencies throughout the state with their infrastructure programs provides me with the expertise to assist the city as we create and implement this long-term infrastructure plan.


    Q: Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
    A: For the last 25 years, I have devoted a substantial part of my life to public service in Laguna Beach — first on the school board, then the Planning Commission and now the City Council. While on the City Council, I have served five years as mayor. I believe that I have demonstrated my leadership qualities to the community throughout the years, and voters have acknowledged their approval by electing me to office five times.

    While we are not an ethnically diverse community, there are diverse communities of interest in Laguna including seniors, artists, environmentalists, historical preservationists, local business owners, members of the LGBTQ+ community and young families. I believe that I have the qualities to represent all of the diverse interests in our city. People know me as someone who is a good listener, is willing to look at all sides of an issue before deciding, works hard to understand complex issues and is persistent in pursuing solutions to difficult problems. My 40 years as a Laguna Beach resident gives me a deep understanding of our community. I remain motivated to work hard to meet our challenges and improve the quality of life for all our residents.


    Laguna Talks Local Radio Show - Sept 2024

    OC Register 2024 Candidate Questionnaire

    LA Times: Bob Whalen, George Weiss begin reelection campaigns for Laguna Beach City Council


    Priorities (found on web site):
    https://www.bobwhalenlagunabeachcitycouncil.com/whalen-goals
    -     Implement strategies to mitigate the impact of visitors on our neighborhoods, beaches and open space
    - Continue efforts to enhance wildfire safety and make fire insurance more available
    - Improve safety on Laguna Canyon Road and reduce wildfire risk by undergrounding utilities and adding pedestrian and bike paths
    - Develop a long-range funding strategy to update our aging fire stations and other infrastructure
    - Promote fiscal responsibility with a balanced budget and strong reserves
    - Expand public parking to relieve pressure on our neighborhoods
    - Create more affordable housing opportunities for local seniors, artists and workers
    - Protect our neighborhoods and increase City revenues by enforcing the ban on unpermitted short-term lodging
    - Improve the environment by implementing the recommendations in the upcoming Climate Action and Adaptation Plan
    - Increase local water supplies and resiliency through a combination of groundwater, desalinization [SIC] and recycled water
    - Improve ocean water quality by reducing stormwater runoff and renovating the wastewater treatment plant on Aliso Creek



    Committees:
    Served as Laguna Beach mayor
    Laguna Beach Planning Commission
    Laguna Beach School Board (member and president)
    Laguna Art Museum Board of Directors



    Public Endorsements:
    https://www.bobwhalenlagunabeachcitycouncil.com/new-page
    State     Senator Dave Min
    Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris 
    Supervisor Katrina Foley
    Mayor Sue Kempf
    Mayor Pro Tem Alex Rounaghi
    Councilmember Mark Orgill
    Laguna Beach Democrats




    Voting Record:

    Senate Bill 1055 supported by the entire council: https://www.lagunabeachcity.net/home/showpublisheddocument/17899/638442097295870000
    (This bill would incentivize municipalities to meet their affordable housing needs in order to revert to the ministerial approval of 16 foot height limits on attached accessory dwelling units (ADUs).)

    Assembly Bill 2817 supported by entire council:
    https://www.lagunabeachcity.net/home/showpublisheddocument/17897/638442097113970000
    (AB     2817 will give legislative authorization to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) to consider relinquishment of a segment of State Route (SR) 1 to the City of Laguna Beach.)

    Work he did while on city council:
    https://www.bobwhalenlagunabeachcitycouncil.com/whalen-council

  • Candidate
    Laguna Beach City Council  (at large election)


    Judie Agreed to take the Do No Harm Pledge, saying, “That’s a really nice pledge. I’m happy to take it”. 



    Career: Founder & CEO of Social Compassion in Legislation

    Website: https://judiemancuso.com/

    Contact Info:
    info@judiemancuso.com


    FB: https://www.facebook.com/JudieMancusoAD72/
    IG: https://www.instagram.com/judiemancuso



    Following on Social Media:
    PETA
    Arm the Animals
    Rock the Vote
    House Democrats
    Vegan Community
    Women in Leadership
    Democrat OC PAC
    Planned Parenthood
    Barack Obama
    Beto O’Rourke
    #vegancosmetics
    #veganmakeupshare
    #priscillapresley
    Tagged in posts related to March for Our Lives, abortion support rallies, animal welfare events


    2024 News:

    OC Register 2024 General Election Candidate Questionnaire
    Judie Mancuso, Laguna Beach City Council candidate, 2024 election questionnaire
    Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
    A: Government accountability and good governance is at the top of the list, right along with fiscal responsibility and stewardship. Without it, we cannot provide all the services Lagunans deserve, such as: providing health and safety services, mitigating the impacts of over-tourism and over-development, infrastructure modernization, mitigating fire risk, ensuring the highest quality water supply and achieving zero liquid discharge into our ocean. Also, it is extremely important to protect our open spaces and wildlife and build climate resiliency and sustainability into our local government operations and community.


    Q: Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
    A: As a Laguna Beach homeowner since 1995, I am well-known for my commitment to the community. As a leader of the city’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, I spearheaded that body’s efforts to protect Laguna’s unique natural resources and create models of sustainability that can be followed up and down the coast.

    In 2007, I founded my nonprofit, Social Compassion in Legislation (SCIL), where I am the president and CEO. SCIL has sponsored over 70 state bills, with 25 signed into law to protect animals and the environment. These laws have been copied in other states and have shifted policy in other countries. I started a state public-private program that has produced millions of dollars to fund spay and neuter programs and worked tirelessly for eight years as a public member on the California Veterinary Medical Board.

    That work built on my previous decades of leadership at Fortune 500 companies managing large information technology teams and building enterprise-wide software development systems. All of this experience has given me leadership skills that I will bring to the city council.

    With pride for our city, and bringing integrity, civility and respect, I will listen to diverse voices and include all stakeholders in order to find efficient solutions to the community’s needs.



    Local Elections Start - July 2024:
    https://orangecountytribune.com/2024/07/20/local-election-campaigns-start/

    Laguna Talks Radio Interview - Oct 2024:
    https://judiemancuso.com/laguna-talks-to-judie-mancuso-by-kx-fm/



    Other Info:
    Judie wrote a book called “Because They Need Us: My Political Fight to Save Animals”
    https://socialcompassioninlegislation.org/because-they-need-us
    Book synopsis and reviews on Amazon. 




    Priorities (found on web site):
    https://judiemancuso.com/issues/

    Public health and safety

    Environmental protection and open space preservation

    Good governance and accountability

    Livability and affordability

    Infrastructure modernization

    Listen, learn, lead - being a “voice for the voiceless”


    Public Endorsements:

    Jane Fonda Climate PAC
    Women in Leadership
    Community Action Fund of Planned Parenthood Orange & San Bernardino Counties

    OC Young Democrats



    Voting Record:

    Supportive of AB 1983: Preventing Euthanasia to Save (P.E.T.S.) Act (offering grants for low cost spay and neuter programs)

    Supportive of AB 3162: Opposing Cruelty to Octopus (OCTO) Act




    Top Campaign Contributors:
    None Found




    Ratings:
    None Found


  • Candidate
    Laguna Beach City Council  (at large election)


    Hallie agreed to take the City Council Advocacy Pledge, saying, “I'm proud to take this pledge and commit to supporting our queer community--both in Laguna and beyond. This is close to my heart for personal reasons, but also just because it's the right thing to do. I'm here with you!”



    Career: Executive VP and Chief Program Officer - Crystal Cove Conservancy

    Website: https://www.hallieforlaguna.com/

    Contact Info:
    hallie@crystalcove.org


    IG: https://www.instagram.com/hallieforlaguna

    FB: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hallie-For-Laguna/61565589872289/



    Following on Social Media:
    Local businesses

    Laguna Beach Fire Dept

    Local Democratic candidates

    OC Young Dems


    Social Media Posts:
    Speaking on the Forest Avenue Promenade:
    https://www.facebook.com/reel/1487184631933099

    Speaking on visitor impacts on local beaches:
    https://fb.watch/uYzXJYR3eW/

    Speaking on the use of glyphosate (Round Up):
    https://fb.watch/uYzYZL2Ed2/

    Recognizing Juneteenth:
    https://www.instagram.com/p/C8atUpbvNEq/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==



    Public Record:

    OC Register 2024 General Election Candidate Questionnaire
    Hallie Jones, Laguna Beach City Council candidate, 2024 election questionnaire
    Q: In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it?
    A: The city is under incredible pressure. We’ve got affordable housing mandates, we have increased visitorship and we have a changing climate with increased wildfire risk. How do we protect the things that make this community so special in the face of these pressures? The answer is nuanced, balanced dialogue and rational, solutions-oriented problem-solving. We need to work together to solve these issues, not only as a council but as a community. The city needs strong and collaborative leadership and a council dedicated to effective community involvement and partnership.


    Q: Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city?
    A: I was born and raised in Laguna and have deep roots in this community. Now I’m raising my children in this very special town.

    I have almost 25 years of experience working in ocean and land conservation and a strong understanding of the environmental issues facing our coast. I’m a collaborative problem-solver and an experienced organizational leader dedicated to finding solutions and navigating through complex issues with strong opinions on all sides. But more than anything, I’m committed to Laguna. I’m committed to making this town the absolute best place it can be and protecting the things that make this such a special town.



    Local Elections Start - July 2024:
    https://orangecountytribune.com/2024/07/20/local-election-campaigns-start/

    Hallie Jones Vies for City Council Seat - July 2024:
    https://www.lagunabeachindy.com/hallie-jones-vies-for-city-council-seat/
    Hallie     on Voice of Laguna - Sept 2024:
    https://www.voiceoflaguna.com/podcasts/conversations/episode/city-council-candidate-hallie-jones/




    Priorities (found on web site):
    https://www.hallieforlaguna.com/priorities

    Public safety and fire protection

    Climate change and natural resources

    Preserving open space and building climate resiliency [SIC]

    Infrastructure and development

    Affordable housing and small businesses

    Streamlining permit processes for businesses and property owners

    Artist housing



    Public Endorsements:
    https://www.hallieforlaguna.com/endorsements

    Dave Min, California State Senator

    Cottie Petrie-Norris, California State Representative

    Sue Kempf, Laguna Beach Mayor

    Alex Rounaghi, Laguna Beach Mayor Pro Tem

    Mark Orgill, Laguna Beach City Councilmember

    Bob Whalen, Laguna Beach City Councilmember

    Katrina Foley, OC Supervisor

    OC young Democrats

    Laguna Beach Democratic Club
    Laguna Beach Firefighters Association

    Sierra Club

City Council Race

Laguna Beach Unified School District