Dan Kalmick, who is running for re-election on the Huntington Beach City Council, has been scrutinized in recent weeks for his ongoing conflicts with the mayor and other city leaders.
Dan Kalmick, an incumbent seeking reelection on the Huntington Beach City Council, has come under scrutiny in recent months for his conduct at city council meetings.
In June, Kalmick and his colleagues, Councilors Rhonda Bolton and Natalie Moser, walked out of a city council meeting in the middle of proceedings to protest an agenda item proposed by Mayor Pro Tem, Pat Burns. The item affirmed the council’s commitment to the U.S. Constitution, including the residents’ rights to free speech and to bear arms.
Upon learning of Mayor Pro Tem Burns’ proposal, Kalmick proposed his own agenda item which stated that “water is wet and the sky is blue.”
After the ordeal, Burns said the item was intended to be a bipartisan issue and that Kalmick turned it into a “theatrical act of stupidity.”
“By reaffirming this, it just says that Huntington Beach is going to stand and be strong with our very important foundation of the Constitution,” Burns told the Daily Pilot.
Kalmick has also been critical of Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark’s proposed ordinance to make Huntington Beach a “Parents’ Right to Know City,” in response to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s singing of AB 1955 into law. The law prevents schools from needing to tell parents if their child is transitioning their gender identity or expression at school.
“This is ridiculous and a very weird agenda item. It’s another ridiculous piece of theater that doesn’t do anything for the residents of Huntington Beach but will cost us money because it opens us up to litigation,” Kalmick told FOX 11 Los Angeles. “It’s a school issue and I think it’s important we protect our LGBTQ.”
Kalmick often takes to social media to message city politics and national political issues. In October 2023, months before city voters were set to vote on a policy that would require individuals to present identification in order to vote in city elections, Kalmick criticized voter ID as a voter suppression tactic.
“Let’s be clear: Voter ID is about voter suppression. It’s not about protecting the integrity of an election,” Kamick said.
City voters approved the measure in March 2024 with 53% of the vote.
Kalmick was first elected to the city council in 2020. Before joining the council, he served for eight years on the city’s planning commission.
Kalmick, Bolton, and Moser are all seeking reelection this fall. According to city records, their challengers include Armory Hanson, Don Kennedy, Edward “Butch” Twining, Cody Cleary, Marissa Jackson, Shawn Kirby, and Chad Williams, all of whom sought nomination papers from the city clerk.
The election will be held on November 5.
