Irvine, CA – City Councilmember, businesswoman, and longtime community leader Farrah N. Khan announced her campaign for Irvine Mayor today. Khan will take on Christina Shea, whose ballot designation will indicate that she is an appointed, not an elected, incumbent.
In announcing her campaign, Khan released the following statement:
“Irvine deserves a Mayor who reflects the inclusive, compassionate, and progressive values of our city’s residents. As Mayor, I’ll fight to protect the things that make this such a special place to live while advancing new policies to reduce homelessness, combat climate change, increase transparency throughout city government, and help workers and businesses recover from the economic shutdown. I’m excited to launch my campaign, and I am looking forward to the many conversations with voters that lay ahead about how best to move Irvine forward.”
Khan also announced that former Irvine Mayors Sukhee Kang and Beth Krom – the last two Democrats to hold the position – will serve as her campaign’s co-chairs. Democratic voters outnumber their Republican counterparts in Irvine by a margin of around 15%, and President Donald Trump is expected to lose the city by a wide margin in November. Khan is a Democrat, and Shea is a Republican.
Khan, who is a former member of the Irvine Community Services Commission, was elected to the City Council in 2018. Her long history of local leadership includes having served on the Irvine Global Village Festival Steering Committee, and then on the Orange County Interfaith Network Board. She was the President of the Deerfield Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, a member of the Venado Middle School Parent Teacher Association Board, and a member of the Irvine High School Site Council.
Khan and her husband have owned and managed a restaurant and catering company since 2005. Her professional career also includes having served as a Regulatory Affairs Manager for a biotech company and as the Executive Director of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council.
Khan is the proud mother of two boys who attend Irvine public schools.