Huntington Beach qualifies 8 candidates for City Council race

The race for the Huntington Beach City Council this fall will feature decidedly fewer candidates than last time around.

Eight candidates qualified for the race by Friday’s deadline, getting their nomination papers approved and earning a spot on the ballot confirmed by the Orange County Registrar of Voters. They are, in alphabetical order, Rhonda Bolton, Amory Hanson, Marissa Jackson, Dan Kalmick, Don Kennedy, Natalie Moser, Butch Twining and Chad Williams.

With three seats up for election, Bolton, Kalmick and Moser are the three incumbents who will try to keep their spots on the dais with the conservative majority elected in 2022.

Kennedy and Twining, two conservatives who each currently sit on the Planning Commission, are running together with former U.S. Navy Seal Williams, a youth pastor. Hanson, on the Historic Resources Board, is a repeat candidate, while Jackson is another conservative in the race.

In 2020, there were 15 candidates who ran for three spots. In 2022, there were 18 candidates who ran for four spots.

This is the first election since the conservative City Council majority approved a substantial raise to campaign contribution limits. The limit went from the previous amount of $620 per person or business to the amount allowed by the state of California for state candidates — currently $5,500.

A voter enters the voting area at Huntington Beach City Hall in 2020.

(File Photo)

Bolton reported raising $32,172 in the period from January through June of this year, ending with a cash balance of $26,898.94 when factoring in cash payments. Most of the contributions were less than $500, though she did receive a maximum $5,500 contribution from the Women In Leadership Political Action Committee.

Hanson filed state Form 470, indicating that he will be raising and spending less than $2,000 each.

Jackson reported raising slightly more than $4,000 during the first half of the year and making expenditures of around $2,000, for an ending cash balance of $2,330.

Kalmick raised $86,709.49 during the first half of the year, according to his filing. Subtracting nearly $29,000 in expenditures and considering a starting cash balance of nearly $49,000, he finished June with an ending cash balance of $112,022.66.

Most of Kalmick’s contributions were for $250 or less, though he did receive $4,500 from the Orange County Employees Assn. PAC and $5,500 from an individual, Susan Allen.

Kennedy reported raising just shy of $40,000 during the period and expenditures of about $10,400. Factoring in a starting cash balance of nearly $37,000, he finished the period with an ending cash balance of $66,087.82.

Most of Kennedy’s contributions were $1,000 or less. He did receive the maximum $5,500 from longtime local Republican businessman Ed Laird.

Moser reported nearly $67,000 worth of contributions and expenditures of nearly $12,000. Her ending cash balance was $61,903.42.

Most of her contributions were $500 or less, other than $5,500 from the Women In Leadership PAC and the same amount from Allen.

Twining reported raising just more than $100,000 in the first half of the year, about three-fourths of which was $75,000 worth of self-loans. His expenditures were just more than $10,000. With a beginning cash balance of nearly $30,000, his ending balance was $121,798.42.

His substantial donors included Jean Cloyd of Huntington Beach ($2,000) and Richard Kelter, also of Huntington Beach ($2,500).

Williams reported raising more than $167,000 during the period, the most of any candidate. With expenditures of about $23,000 and a beginning cash balance of nearly $42,000, his ending cash balance was $184,634.94.

His contributions included several Huntington Beach residents who gave more than $1,000, as well as Black Trumpet and Capone’s Italian restaurants, who each gave $2,500. Nearly $100,000 of his funds also came from outside of the city.