Laguna Beach General Election 2022: What To Know

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach is gearing up for the November elections, and this year, residents will have the chance to elect three city council seats.

Registered voters will receive a Voter Information Guide by mail starting Sept. 29 in preparation for the Nov. 8 election. Residents who are not registered to vote are strongly encouraged to register by Oct. 24, which is the cut-off date.

In Laguna Beach, voters will choose three city council members to sit on the dais for the next four years.

Incumbents Sue Kempf and Peter Blake will seek a second-year term on the council, while longtime local leader Toni Iseman announced that she would not seek reelection after 24 years of public service in Laguna Beach.

Here's a rundown on the candidates running for the Laguna Beach City Council, listed in the order that they will be on the ballot:

• Incumbent Peter Blake said in a statement that he will focus his campaign on three priorities: public safety, visionary planning and property rights. In his candidate statement, he promised to uphold and strengthen the quality of life for Laguna Beach residents. To read his full candidate statement, click here.
• Candidate Alex Rounaghi has been a Laguna Beach resident for three generations, starting when his grandparents moved to town decades ago. He has served as Policy Advisor to Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, and bases his campaign on prioritizing undergrounding utility lines, strengthening funding for firefighters and police, addressing housing needs, protecting the city's open spaces and streamlining city hall. To read his full candidate statement, click here.
• Candidate Mark Orgill is the real estate investor behind seven-degrees event venue, Laguna College of Art + Design Residence Hall, and Sunset Cove Villas. He has been a Laguna Beach resident for almost 40 years and prioritizes communication and transparency with residents, collaboration with the community and maximizing Laguna Beach's environmental sustainability. To read his full candidate statement, click here.
• Candidate Jerome Pudwill is a 36-year resident of Laguna Beach and advocate for limited tourism development in Laguna Beach. He has previous experience as a land developer, as well as experience as a marketing director. Pudwill's campaign prioritizes three issues: restoring city government transparency, creating a city hall that serves residents first and seeking cost-effective solutions to over-tourism, traffic and parking. To read his full statement, click here.
• Candidate Ruben Flores is a 26-year resident of Laguna Beach and has several decades of small business experience under his belt. The goals for his campaign include: ensuring complete city communication with the surrounding community, addressing parking issues in the city, promoting water-wise usage and more. To read his full statement, click here.
• Candidate Louis Weil is a longtime Laguna Beach resident, and works as a Realtor and design review board member. His campaign prioritizes "planning ahead" for the next few decades and taking a fresh look at housing affordability, public safety and green solutions to parking, traffic and more. He also pledged to return civility to the Laguna Beach City Council. To read his full statement, click here.
• Incumbent Sue Kempf will run for a second term on the dais, and said in a statement that her work in the city "isn't done." According to her statement, Kempf will continue to run her campaign on the importance of public safety and protecting Laguna Beach's "small village charm" from developers unwanted by the community. To read her full statement, click here.