Politics have been intense in recent years in the once laid-back coastal town of Huntington Beach. The city with working class roots (oil drilling and farming once dominated here) has leaned conservative for a long time. But even prominent local Republicans say local government was never as contentious as it has been in recent years.
The pandemic is at least partly to blame for the change — residents protested mask mandates and beach closures while some local businesses went rogue and declared themselves mask-free zones in defiance of state public health mandates.
After a slate of four conservative City Council candidates won seats in 2022, they repeatedly butted heads with their three left-leaning colleagues and passed legislation over their loud objections. In November, those three minority council members lost their seats to a new conservative slate, leaving the city with a full-MAGA council.
The seven members plus Michael Gates, the city attorney, posed for cameras in red “Make America Great Again” hats at the newcomers’ swearing-in ceremony in December.