Huntington Beach’s 2026 City Council race has 11 candidates competing for four seats, but voters heard from fewer than half of them at a Wednesday forum at the Senior Center in Central Park. Five candidates participated and six were absent, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The nearly two-hour event was organized by Protect Huntington Beach and focused on local matters including lawsuits and the city’s projected structural budget deficit. Taryn Palumbo, Erin Spivey, Ben Davis, Brenda Glim and Amory Hanson took part; Casey McKeon, Pat Burns, Brian Thienes, Brian Burley, Andrew Gruel and Rosalind Price did not attend, the newspaper reported.
Participation has varied across recent forums
The latest event is one example of uneven participation, but the available record does not establish a long-term trend. At a July 2022 forum at Redeemer Lutheran Church, eight of 15 invited candidates attended, and the event lasted 90 minutes, according to the Los Angeles Times.
A separate forum at Golden West College in October 2024 had a different result: all eight candidates attended, the Los Angeles Times reported. Those comparisons are limited because the forums were held in different election cycles, involved different numbers of candidates and were organized under different circumstances.
More chances to compare candidates remain
The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce has scheduled another City Council candidates forum at the Huntington Beach Central Library Theatre. The chamber’s event listing says the forum is free but requires registration, giving candidates who missed the Senior Center event another public opportunity to outline their positions.
The Orange County Registrar of Voters’ 2026 Candidate’s Handbook sets the general election for Nov. 3. Until then, the two forums provide examples of how much of the field voters can hear directly depends on the event and candidate participation.
