Political Landscape: Council candidate forums set in Newport and Huntington

The Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce will present a Newport Beach City Council candidate forum Sept. 6 at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, 1601 Bayside Drive.

Doors will open at 7 a.m. and the program will run from 7:30 to 9 a.m. The forum is free and open to the public.

A previously announced forum presented by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday in the Friends Room at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave.

Admission to that forum is free, but reservations are encouraged and can be made by contacting Pam Smith at psmith@newportbeach.com or (949) 729-4411.

Eight candidates are running in the November election for the council seats in Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6. Incumbents Diane Dixon, Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, Kevin Muldoon and Scott Peotter are seeking reelection.

Huntington Beach candidate forum Tuesday at Waterfront Beach Resort

The Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce will present a City Council candidate forum from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Waterfront Beach Resort, 21100 Pacific Coast Hwy.

Candidates for the Nov. 6 election will share their stances on issues concerning the business community. The event is free and open to the public.

Fifteen candidates are vying for four available seats on the seven-member council. Incumbents Mike Posey, Erik Peterson, Barbara Delgleize and Billy O’Connell are running for reelection.

Democratic Party of Orange County fundraiser set for Costa Mesa

The 24th annual Harry S. Truman Awards Dinner — the largest fundraiser of the year for the Democratic Party of Orange County — will be held from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 25 at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa hotel, 3050 Bristol St.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) will be the keynote speaker at the event, and awards will be presented to Sodexo workers of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, state Sen. Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) and Jennifer Muir Beuthin, general manager of the Orange County Employees Assn.

Seating at the event is currently full, but organizers have created a waiting list for tickets at secure.actblue.com/donate/trumanawards2018.

Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn. endorses Lowenthal for Assembly

The Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn., which represents the department’s rank-and-file, has endorsed Democrat Josh Lowenthal in the race to represent the 72nd Assembly District, according to a news release.

The district includes Fountain Valley and a portion of Huntington Beach.

“Huntington Beach police officers support Josh Lowenthal because we can trust him to be our partner in tackling the tough issues in our community like the rise in violent crime, government dysfunction and partisan politics,” association President Yasha Nikitin said in a statement. “Josh has a track record of bringing people together and staying above the petty partisan politics.”

Lowenthal — a Huntington Beach resident and conference call company executive — is running against Westminster Vice Mayor Tyler Diep, a Republican, to replace Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach), who ran unsuccessfully for governor.

“I am grateful to receive the endorsement of brave men and women who put their lives on the lines every day to protect my community from harm,” Lowenthal said in a statement. “We owe them our support, and I am deeply honored to have earned their trust.”

Costa Mesa fire and police associations endorse Foley for mayor

The Costa Mesa Police Assn. and Costa Mesa Firefighters Assn. have endorsed Councilwoman Katrina Foley’s bid to become the city’s first directly elected mayor, according to a news release.

Foley — a Mesa del Mar resident and former Newport-Mesa Unified School District trustee who rejoined the City Council in 2014 after having served from 2004 to 2010 — is running for the post against current Mayor Sandy Genis.

In a statement Friday, Foley said Costa Mesa has “public safety challenges to tackle related to inadequate staffing, outdated equipment and technology and a creep up in our crime stats” and that the city must ensure first-responders “are properly trained and equipped.”

“Public safety of our community is my top priority,” she said. “I look forward to partnering with our public safety teams to keep our community safe.”