Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen has claimed victory and George Weiss was still ahead Friday night in the election for two seats on the Laguna Beach City Council.
Whalen and Weiss respectively earned 24.58% and 21.73% of the vote in the latest tranche of election results. They were followed by Ruben Flores with 20.99%, Larry Nokes with 19.17%, and Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow with 13.53%.
Laguna Beach has 18,229 registered voters, City Clerk Lisette Chel-Walker said. It was unclear Thursday morning how many Laguna Beach ballots still need to be counted by the Orange County Registrar of Voters.
“Thank you to all of the voters in Laguna Beach who turned out to vote!” Whalen wrote in an email late Thursday. “I am very appreciative of the opportunity to represent our residents for another four years and will commit to work hard for all of you.”
He added that the City Council needs to work hard to protect residential neighborhoods, promote wildfire safety, add public parking throughout the city, and look for opportunities to create senior housing.
In a phone interview with the Independent, Weiss said Tuesday night that he’s grateful for the initial returns from voters. He stopped short of declaring victory.
On Friday, he was ahead of Flores by 187 votes.
Weiss said he hopes to rebalance the City Council toward prioritizing the needs of residents over the business community and visitors.
“Everyone fought a very civil campaign so I congratulate them for that,” Weiss said. “It creates a sense obligation on my part to really represent all residents on city council.”
The ballot returns reflect mixed feelings about voters’ confidence in the current city council. On one hand, Whalen’s reelection validates the status quo. On the other, Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow’s fifth-place finish reflects voters’ interest in shaking up the council.
If returns hold their course, the election would be a draw between candidates endorsed by Village Laguna and Liberate Laguna PAC. In 2018, Councilmembers Peter Blake and Sue Kempf were elected with the support of Liberate Laguna—which has been under consistent fire by political enemies this election season because it’s largely supported by three local households involved with real estate development: Samuel Goldstein, Michael Ray, and Cindy Shopoff.
A fourth-place finish by Nokes would be surprising considering Liberate Laguna has spent tens of thousands of dollars on political advertising to help elect him.
“I congratulate Bob and George on their success. I tip my hat to Steve and Ruben as candidates, and to all others who put their names forward as candidates for public office and participated in the election,” Nokes wrote in an email Thursday. “I wish those who were elected success dealing with the issues facing the city, its residents and its businesses. I hope I was able to offer some constructive input during the campaign on options available to us to enhance the vibrancy and livability of Laguna.”
As mayor, Whalen was the public face of Laguna Beach’s decision to close city-owned breaches and trailheads in March to prevent the spread of COVID-19. He also spearheaded a council subcommittee that produced a comprehensive study of Laguna Beach’s very-high wildfire risk and mitigation measures.
Weiss co-founded the Laguna Residents First PAC to help push back against developer influence at city hall. He’s opposed the City Council’s recent decision to revisit building a parking structure at the Village Entrance. Ruben Flores and Weiss were endorsed by Village Laguna.
The results signal a pause in Dicterow’s official role in Laguna Beach politics, which stretches back to 1994. The Brooklyn native has served in his latest tenure on the City Council since 2012.
In his first term, Dicterow helped lead the city through its recovery from the 1993 Laguna Fire. He was also on the City Council when it reviewed and approved the development of the Montage Laguna Beach. Over the course of his political career, Dicterow has participated in hundreds of hours of city council meetings.
“I just want to congratulate Bob and Gorge on their victories and for everyone to know how grateful I am to have had the honor of serving them,” Dicterow wrote in an email to the Independent.
