Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below. Questionnaires may have been edited for spelling, grammar, length and, in some instances, to remove hate speech and offensive language.
MORE: Read all the candidate responses in our Voter Guide
Name: Lee Sun
Current job title: Attorney
Political party affiliation: Non-Partisan
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Irvine Finance Commissioner, Asian American Advocacy Alliance President
City where you reside: Irvine
Campaign website or social media: leesunforirvinemayor.org
Irvine is in the process of its first major general plan update in well over a decade. Since Irvine has traditionally been a master-planned community, what is your vision for the city as it continues to grow? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Irvine will continue to develop according to its original master-planned community concept, emphasizing distinct villages, parks, community centers and business hubs. To meet the modern demand for more affordable housing, the city plans to build new villages strategically located near transportation hubs and job centers. These new housing developments will be designed with a variety of sizes and price points, ensuring that home ownership is attainable for residents across different income levels.
As part of this expansion, community service centers and schools will be thoughtfully integrated into the development plans. This approach will ensure a high quality of life for residents by providing easy access to schools, parks, libraries, shops, transportation and business centers.
How can the city best meet the demand and mandates for more housing, including at lower prices, while also preserving the quality of life for existing neighborhoods and residents? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
As the city work to meet the demand and mandates for more housing, Irvine will continue to ensure that the high quality of life enjoyed by residents in existing neighborhoods is not only preserved but also enhanced. The city plans to introduce modern amenities such as updated libraries, museums, sports facilities, including indoor gyms, and expand trails and nature preserves to enrich the community experience.
To address the need for more housing, particularly at lower price points, new villages will be developed strategically near transportation hubs and job centers. These new villages will be thoughtfully designed to guarantee a high quality of life, providing residents with convenient access to schools, parks, libraries, shops, transportation, and business centers.
Irvine has a goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. That will take a lot of city outreach to accomplish. Where does climate change fall in your list of priorities? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Fighting climate change is my top priority. Sustainability is not just an option — it is our responsibility. Our city will achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030 through a series of strategic initiatives. We will integrate sustainability, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and green building principles into every city building project. To promote sustainable transportation, we will expand Irvine Connect.
Additionally, we will ensure that the Orange County Power Authority (OCPA) is well-managed, providing residents with genuine solutions to source renewable energy at competitive prices.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
The biggest needs our city faces are public safety and affordable housing. While affordable housing has been addressed in earlier responses, this response will focus on public safety.
Despite Irvine being ranked as the safest city in the country for 18 consecutive years, we are witnessing a rise in retail crimes and property thefts, which significantly threaten our residents’ quality of life. A city can only thrive when its residents feel safe shopping for groceries or walking on the streets. To address this, the city must collaborate with the state, county, district attorney’s office and city police to ensure stronger enforcement, impose serious penalties and deliver real consequences for these crimes. Additionally, I will support community engagement by creating a neighborhood watch fund, allowing any resident interested in establishing a neighborhood watch in their community to apply for financial assistance.
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Leadership is crucial as Irvine embarks on a new phase of growth and transformation, facing challenges in public safety, affordable housing, traffic and climate change. Our city needs a leader who listens to residents, approaches issues with a fresh perspective and remains steadfast in integrity, responsibility and transparency.
I bring a unique blend of expertise and passion to the role of mayor, with dual doctorate degrees in engineering and law (Ph.D. and JD), over 20 years of experience in high-tech industries, five years on the Irvine City’s Investment Advisory Committee — including two years as the unanimously elected chair — and two terms as president of the Asian American Advocacy Alliance, where I have actively fought for minority rights and a more inclusive community.
In attending City Council meetings, two issues have stood out to me: residents’ voices are often ignored and clear solutions that would benefit the community are frequently delayed for years. As mayor, I will ensure that every public comment made during council meetings receives a response at the next meeting, fostering a more accountable and responsive City Council.
My focus as mayor will be to prioritize the needs of residents, resist special interests and drive balanced growth with more affordable housing, enhanced public safety and education; a robust economy that creates jobs; and greater transparency and responsiveness in city governance.
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