Kim Kicks Off Mayoral Campaign
Irvine City Councilmember Tammy Kim stood between OC Board of Supervisors’ Katrina Foley (front left) and CA-47 Congresswoman Katie Porter (front right), in a group picture of Kim’s supporters. Photo credit The Vine
Add the sun to the long list of Tammy Kim’s endorsements for her bid to be Irvine’s next mayor. After a drizzly Sunday morning on June 9, the clouds parted just in time to give Irvine City Councilmember Kim a sunny venue to officially kick off her mayoral campaign at Mike Ward Community Park.
Leaders from across Orange County were on hand to support Kim, who would be the first Korean American woman to serve as Irvine’s mayor if elected.
SD-37 State Senator and CA-47 Congressional candidate Dave Min addressed the assembled crowd of supporters first. He said he supported Kim not only because she will represent the diverse voices of Irvine’s community, but also because she is “tough as nails.”
Current CA-47 Representative Katie Porter, who will return to teaching at UCI Law School when her current term in the House ends, then took the mic to officially endorse Kim for Mayor.
“For me, this is about what kind of city do I want to live in, what kind of city do I want for the future, and what kind of leader does our city need,” said Porter. “Being a mayor is not a solo operation. You have to be a consensus builder. You have to be someone that people can trust. You have to be a person of your word. And you have to be a person of integrity. Tammy showed time and time again that she is willing to do those things.”
Kim then stepped forward to address the crowd, which included Finance Commission member Lauren Johnson-Norris, Irvine Councilmember Kathleen Treseder, Costa Mesa Mayor John Stephens, Buena Park City Council candidate Joyce Ahn, several candidates running for Irvine City Council seats.
“This is about where we’re going to be in the next 50 years,” said Kim. “We’ve got real world problems that we need to start thinking about. How do we make sure that we can grow in a sustainable way? The children that we raise in Irvine, how are they going to be able to come back?”
Despite being a city that values education and safety, Kim said, Irvine is a city where most teachers, police officers, and fire fighters cannot afford to live. Kim explained that she wants to protect the Irvine master plan but allow the city to grow.
“Saying ‘Don’t build’ is not the answer,” Kim said. “We have to think about this and we have to plan for it. That’s what I want to do as your next Mayor.”
Another of Kim’s goal for the city includes moving forward with a $1.5 billion framework to finally build out the Great Park.
“It’s going to be a place where our residents can build community,” said Kim. “We will preserve that for future generations to come.”
Kim then passed the mic on to Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, who lead the crowd in a chant of “Kim for the win” before explaining why she is supporting Kim for Mayor.
“The time is now for the future,” said Foley, who described her experiences working with Kim on the Orange County Fire Authority and Orange County Housing Finance Trust. “We need voices like Tammy’s at the table. She represents the future.”