Incumbent Democrat Mayor John Stephens defends the city’s top position against licensed financial planner and local business owner James Peters.
Costa Mesa residents will vote for four seats in the City Council election in less than 40 days, featuring a mix of incumbents looking to continue their work and challengers advocating for new directions in local governance.
Seven candidates are on the ballot after qualifying to run earlier this year. While the victors of District seats 1, 2, and 6 will serve a four-year term, voters will elect a Mayor to serve two years.
The latter race includes incumbent Democrat Mayor John Stephens defending the city’s top position against licensed financial planner and local business owner James Peters.
Stephens, a business trial attorney and law firm owner, was first elected to the dias in 2016. After losing his bid for re-election in 2020, he filled a vacancy left by former Mayor Katrina Foley in 2021. Stephens was re-elected to the seat one year after defeating challenger John Moorlach, a former state senator.
Since becoming mayor, Stephens claims on his campaign website that Costa Mesa locals have “seen improvements to our infrastructure, traffic calming measures, public safety innovations, and responsible fiscal management.”
Peters, a self-described “Faith, Freedom and Family candidate,” says he’s running to change the “weak and ineffective” problem-solving coming out of City Hall.
On his campaign website, Peters points to addressing four major issues that he says are the most pressing for Costa Mesa: crime, homelessness, a high concentration of pot shops, and overdevelopment.
“These issues can forever change the make of Costa Mesa,” Peters said.
Conversations concerning housing, construction, and public services frequently shift towards wider political beliefs, as some locals believe that city politics are overly influenced by broader state or national political patterns.
Costa Mesa’s next General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024.
