Kennedy pledges to uphold Huntington Beach values and drive positive change as challengers line up for a competitive fall election.
Don Kennedy, current Vice Chairman of the Huntington Beach Planning Commission and a native of the city, said, after launching his campaign for city council, that he has “always had a genuine love for Huntington Beach.” But in recent years, the coastal city has had its conservative identity challenged by both Sacramento legislators and lobbyists and city activists alike.
“Things are changing here in HB [sic], some for the better and some things that need changing. It’s these reasons that I want to represent the citizens of Huntington Beach as a Council Member.”
After growing up in Huntington Beach, Kennedy, with his wife of nearly thirty years, elected to raise his own family in Surf City—their three children attending the same schools that he did. In his professional life, Kennedy has amassed several decades of experience in executive leadership in business. He cites this experience, as well as his passion for volunteering, as reasons why he is running for Huntington Beach City Council.
“I believe that if I don’t like something or see the need for positive change and I have an opportunity to get involved and change it for the better I do so. Especially if it involves the city I love. I feel it’s my duty, my civic responsibility,” Kennedy wrote on his campaign Facebook page.
Kennedy has joined forces with Chad Williams and Don Kennedy, forming the ‘HB3’ slate supported by many prominent elected officials, including Huntington Beach Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns, Councilman Tony Strickland, Councilman Casey McKeon, City Attorney Michael Gates, former Mayor Jim Silva, State Senator Janet Nguyen, Assemblywoman Diane Dixon, Congressional candidate and former Assemblyman Scott Baugh, and more.
Kennedy and his fellow HB3 candidates have also received endorsements from distinguished county leadership organizations like the Orange County GOP and the Lincoln Club of Orange County.
In the March 5th primary election, Kennedy worked with Huntington Beach leaders and volunteers to promote three charter amendments: Measure A to ensure the City maintains voter integrity, Measure B to unify the City’s patriotic flag policy, and Measure C to improve the City’s long-term financial planning. The passage of Measures A and B, supported by the current council’s conservative leaders, made national headlines for bucking the trend of an increasingly progressive culture in southern California.
“With the solidarity of our council majority HB is moving in the right direction as per the ‘voice of the people’ which is what good elected representatives do,” wrote Kennedy on his campaign Instagram in response to Measures A and B passing.
If elected to city council, Kennedy intends to “enhance community safety through increased police visibility and engagement,” “preserve and safeguard wetlands, wildlife habitats,” “utilize county resources to develop effective solutions for homelessness,” “boost revenue by attracting new businesses” and “bolstering support for local enterprises,” according to his campaign website.
Kennedy additionally cited his intention to support the Huntington Beach City Attorney’s “endeavors to uphold laws, safeguard residents’ interests, and preserve local control.”
Several Democratic candidates, such as former Councilwoman Kim Carr, event planner Cody Cleary, and three sitting incumbent councilmembers—Rhonda Bolton, Dan Kalmick, and Natalie Moser—are challenging the HB3 slate.
Huntington Beach boasts a population of about 200,000 residents and has developed a reputation in recent years as Southern California’s “MAGA stronghold,” according to the Washington Post, “defying the state’s coastal liberalism.” Residents elected a new conservative majority to the city council in 2022, an indicator of how Republican priorities remain popular amongst Surf City voters.
With endorsements from all current conservatives on the council, including Councilman Tony Strickland, who is likely to win his election for State Senate, Kennedy and his fellow HB3 slate members would pick up that torch if elected in November.
As voters gear up for the fall election, Kennedy wrote: “I am committed to putting in the work to earn the votes and respect of the residents who love this city like I do.
