First-time candidate: Council is out of touch

A last-minute candidate for Huntington Beach City Council said this afternoon that he entered the race because he wanted to give voters a break from “career politicians.�

William Grunwald, a general counsel for Tracy Industries in Whittier, was one of several candidates to file their paperwork in the days before the official deadline passed at 5 p.m. Friday. He said he had never sought public office before, but opted to run this year because he felt the council was out of touch with residents’ needs.

“What I’m hoping is that those residents who are tired of the same old story and same old people over and over again are looking for someone new from the outside,� he said. “I’ve never been involved in politics in my life.�

Twenty-one candidates have filed to run for Huntington Beach City Council this year. The last entrants in the race were Grunwald, former Mayor Connie Boardman and businessman Matthew Briggs. In addition, T. Gabe Houston filed to run for city attorney and is the only candidate opposing incumbent Jennifer McGrath.

Another potential candidate, Marcus Giordano, submitted paperwork to run for the council Friday but said this morning he had withdrawn his candidacy due to other obligations.

The huge candidate turnout, Assistant City Clerk Robin Lugar said, was understandable in a year when Mayor Cathy Green, Mayor Pro Tem Jill Hardy and Councilman Gil Coerper are all set to be termed out. Councilman Joe Carchio is also seeking reelection.

“When they have four seats open and people are termed out, it tends to be a big turnout,� Lugar said.

Briggs, the owner of Briggs Digital, a computer engineering company headquartered in Huntington Beach, said he made the last-minute decision to run because he wanted to be more active in the community.

“It will be my mission as your councilman to seek new streams of revenue for the city, eliminate unrealistic pensions, further a balanced city budget and provide an ethical and fiscal stewardship for the city of Huntington Beach’s residents and business owners,� he said.

The other candidates for City Council are Blair Farley, Bruce Brandt, Dan Kalmick, Landon Fichtner, Billy O’Connell, Heather Grow, Norm Westwell, Erik Peterson, Bill Rorick, John Von Holle, Shawn Roselius, Joe Shaw, Fred Speaker, Andrissa Dominguez, Jim Katapodis, Barbara Delgleize and Matthew Harper.

Houston, who runs the private practice Houston Law of California in Santa Ana, said he submitted his paperwork because he disagreed with some of McGrath’s decisions and wanted to give voters an alternative.

“I hate seeing an uncontested election,� he said. “I feel it’s undemocratic, and I don’t want to see it with a candidate who, in my opinion, isn’t conducting herself the way a person in her position should.�