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Huntington Beach Today
By the People, for the People
Huntington Beach City Council Race Taking Shape for 2026
Four challengers join incumbents in filing candidate intention statements for the November 2026 election.
Published on Feb. 12, 2026
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The 2026 Huntington Beach City Council election is shaping up to be a competitive race, with four new challengers joining incumbents Casey McKeon, Pat Burns, and Andrew Gruel in filing candidate intention statements. The race will determine if the council remains all-conservative or if new perspectives will be represented.
Why it matters
Huntington Beach is a politically conservative city, and the makeup of the city council has significant implications for the city's policies and direction. This election will be an important test of the community's political leanings and could shift the balance of power on the council.
The details
The four new challengers are Taryn Palumbo, Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, and Rosalind 'Roz' Price. Palumbo previously served on the city's Community and Library Services Commission, while Spivey was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the city over the library's youth-restricted section. Davis is a lawyer focused on disability and civil rights, and Price is the Chief Operations Officer of a local audio-visual company. Another challenger, Brenda Glim, has been a regular speaker at council meetings. Incumbent Councilmember Gracey Van Der Mark is running for the state Assembly District 72 seat.
- The official candidate filing period for the November 2026 general election runs from July 13 through Aug. 7.
- The 2026 Huntington Beach City Council election will take place in November 2026.
The players
Casey McKeon
Incumbent Huntington Beach City Councilmember expected to run for reelection.
Pat Burns
Incumbent Huntington Beach City Councilmember and former mayor expected to run for reelection.
Andrew Gruel
Incumbent Huntington Beach City Councilmember appointed after Tony Strickland was elected as California State Senator, expected to run for reelection.
Taryn Palumbo
Former Huntington Beach Community and Library Services Commission member and current executive director of Orange County Grantmakers, a nonprofit philanthropic organization.
Erin Spivey
Former librarian in the Fountain Valley School District and Huntington Beach Public Library system, and plaintiff in an ACLU-backed lawsuit against the city over the library's youth-restricted section.
What’s next
The official candidate filing period for the November 2026 Huntington Beach City Council election will run from July 13 through Aug. 7.
The takeaway
The 2026 Huntington Beach City Council election will be a crucial test of the community's political leanings, with a mix of incumbents and new challengers vying for the four available seats. The outcome could shift the balance of power on the council and impact the city's policies and direction going forward.
