District 1 Council · June 2, 2026

David Kartsonis

Challenger

Polls have closed
← Back to the District 1 Council race
David Kartsonis

About

David Kartsonis, candidate for District 1 Council in Torrance, has served on the Planning Commission since 2020. He runs a family small business and is a South Bay native. 2

Finance snapshot

$35k
Donations
83
Donors
$424
Avg gift
65%
From Torrance
$2k
PAC spending

Through June 1, 20261 · Full breakdown →

Background

Career
Kartsonis works at his family's small business in Torrance, founded by his parents nearly 30 years ago, and previously chaired the Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce's Tech Talks program from 2017 to 2022. 1
Elected service
He has served on the Torrance Planning Commission since 2020 and as its chair since 2023, after a prior term on the city's Parks and Recreation Commission from 2019 to 2020. 1
Civic affiliation
Kartsonis is the immediate past president of the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation and a board member of the Torrance/South Bay YMCA and AYSO North Torrance, and previously served on the El Camino College Foundation board for a decade, including as president from 2016 to 2018. 1
Torrance roots
A South Bay native, Kartsonis lives in North Torrance with his wife Mia and their two children. 2
Where they stand

On the issues.

Wants to annex El Camino Village

At the Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association candidate forum, has publicly opposed annexing El Camino Village, citing city staff cost figures of about $27 million in startup costs and $11 million annually as disqualifying. 4

Wants stricter homelessness enforcement

Says Torrance needs to enforce its anti-camping rules and keep tax dollars in Torrance rather than sending them to LA County. 1

Says Torrance is fiscally healthy

Says Torrance is ranked as the fourth most likely city in California to go bankrupt and that reserves are depleted. 1

Wants to cap council overseas travel

Says the city should focus on making Torrance better before raising the international travel budgets of the City Council. 1

Wants stronger fenceline monitoring of the refinery

Says on his campaign site that he made the motion that directed staff to dedicate a small corner of Guenser Park to an SCAQMD air monitoring station, which has since been installed as a contributor to TorranceAir.org; served on the Torrance Refining Company Community Advisory Panel 2022-2024. 1

Opposes state housing mandates that override local zoning control

Says the state's mandate that Torrance add 5,000 housing units fell to the Planning Commission to site. As Commission chair, voted to direct those units away from single-family neighborhoods and away from open areas. Continues to back 'responsible development' and worked on the city's 6th-cycle Housing Element. 1

Backs the Metro C/Green Line extension

Backs the extension via Alternative 1 (the existing rail right-of-way behind the Galleria). Opposes the Hawthorne Boulevard alignment, citing traffic impacts and on-grade-crossing safety. Opposes tunneling on safety and cost grounds. 1

Opposed Project Homekey+ at the Extended Stay America hotel

No record located in our research.

Endorsements

90 total · view source
Torrance officials (51)
  • Jeremy Gerson — Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
  • Asam Sheikh — Councilmember; Former Planning Commissioner
  • Bridgett Lewis — Councilmember; Former Civil Service Commissioner
  • Sharon Kalani — Mayor Pro-Tem; Councilmember
  • Dave Zygielbaum — TUSD School Board Member
  • Anil Muhammed — TUSD School Board Member; Former Torrance Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association Board Member
  • Eugene Krc — Airport Commissioner
  • Francisco Leonardo Olmos — Airport Commissioner
  • G. Rick Marshall — Vice Chair, Torrance Airport Commission
  • Gary Seferian — Airport Commissioner
  • Keith Montoya — Commission on Aging Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
  • Mia Kartsonis — Civil Service Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association Board Member
  • Marianne Hamada — Civil Service Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association President
  • Cinda Herring — Civil Service Commissioner; Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation Board Member
  • Jean Adelsman — Civil Service Commissioner; Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation Board Member
  • Camilla Seferian — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner; Board Member of Torrance Education Foundation; President of Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
  • Nyree Berry — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner
  • Adam Schwartz — Torrance Historic Preservation Commissioner
  • Peter LeFevre — Library Commission Chairperson
  • Julie Dojiri — Torrance City Commissioner
  • Robert 'Bob' Habel — Parks and Recreation Commissioner; Former Traffic Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
  • Zohra Muhammed — Parks and Recreation Commissioner
  • Garrett Wright — Parks and Recreation Commissioner (endorsing as citizen, not commissioner)
  • Greg Anunson — Vice Chair, Torrance Planning Commission
  • Dominic Borgialli — Planning Commissioner
  • Mario Obejas — Planning Commissioner
  • Ron Riggs — Planning Commissioner; Former SST Citizen's Oversight Committee Chairperson
  • Melissa Wright — Social Services Commissioner; SST Citizen's Oversight Committee
  • Teresa Furey — Social Services Commissioner
  • Arohi Sharma — Traffic Commission Chairperson
  • Isabel Schwartz — Traffic Commissioner
  • Dan Thomas — Water Commissioner; Former Traffic Commissioner; Former Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce Technology Chair
  • Ed Candioty — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
  • Frank Scotto — Former Torrance Mayor
  • Patrick J. Furey — Former Torrance Mayor
  • Heidi Ann Ashcraft — Former Torrance Councilwoman; Former TUSD School Board Member
  • Geoff Rizzo — Former Torrance Councilman; Former Torrance Police Lieutenant
  • Cliff Numark — Former Torrance Councilman; Former El Camino College Trustee
  • Mike Griffiths — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
  • Jack Walser — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Former Water Commission Chair; WALSER's Business Owner in Torrance
  • Kurt Weideman — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
  • Tom Brewer — Former Torrance City Councilmember
  • Paul Nowatka — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Retired TPD
  • Bill Sutherland — Former Torrance City Councilmember
  • Sue Herbers — Former Torrance City Clerk
  • Ann P. Gallagher — Former TUSD School Board Member
  • Beth Wilson — Former TUSD School Board Member
  • Estella Hill — Former Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner; Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board
  • Robert Rudolph — Former Planning Commissioner; Former North Torrance Homeowners Association President
  • Elizabeth Pino — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
  • Richard Tsao — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
Federal officials (1)
  • Ted Lieu — US Member of Congress; Former Torrance Councilmember
State & county officials (2)
  • Janice Hahn — Los Angeles County Supervisor, 4th District; Former US Member of Congress
  • George Nakano — Former California State Assemblyman; Former Torrance City Councilman; Former teacher; Former President of the El Camino College Foundation; El Camino College Distinguished Alumnus
Public safety (3)
  • Torrance Firefighters Association
  • Torrance Police Commanders Association
  • ECC Police Officers' Association
Labor (4)
  • CSEA Chapter 845
  • Southern California District Council of Laborers Local 1309
  • UA Local 250
  • Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
Business (2)
  • BizFedPAC
  • Young Leaders Political Action Committee
Political clubs (1)
  • Los Angeles County Republican Party (LAGOP)
Advocacy (1)
  • Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
City officials (7)
  • Martha Deutch — 4th Supervisorial District County Committee Chairperson at Los Angeles County Office of Education; Former TUSD School Board Member; Former President of the Torrance Education Foundation
  • Hugo Rojas — Vice-President, Centinela Valley Unified High School District
  • Robert Katherman — District 2 Board Member, Water Replenishment District of Southern California; Former Torrance Water Commissioner
  • Mark Waronek — Lomita City Councilman; Former Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce President; Former LA County Board of Supervisors South Bay Deputy
  • Matthew Brach — SCROC Governing Board; Palos Verdes Unified School District School Board
  • Jeff Gaul — Redondo Beach Public Safety Commissioner
  • Mark Burton — Former Manhattan Beach Mayor; Former Los Angeles Senior Assistant City Attorney; El Camino College Foundation Board Member
Individuals (18)
  • Daniel Ashcraft — Local small business owner; Former Torrance Police Department Chaplain
  • Arun Bhumitra — Torrance small business owner
  • Gabriela Fischer — Torrance business owner, resident, and Founder of The Utopian Society Project
  • Derf Fredericks — Managing Broker, The Real Estate Group; Realtor
  • Danny Fredericks — Realtor
  • Jimmy Gow — Former Social Service Commissioner
  • Mary Hoffman — Former President, Vice President, and Treasurer of TEF; President of the Torrance Rose Float Association
  • William 'Bill' Oberholzer — SVP, Preferred Bank
  • Janet Payne — Community Volunteer
  • Pamela Popovich — Former Co-President, Riviera Homeowner Association
  • Lili Trujillo Puckett — Community Advocate for Safer Streets
  • Totran Radke — Rancho Palos Verdes Infrastructure Management Advisory Committee Board Member; Former Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
  • Raphi Rebucas — Member, Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board (Ret.)
  • Kirk Rossberg — Owner, Torrance Bakery
  • Michael Shafer — Torrance Depot Restaurant owner
  • Rachael Steven — Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board Member; Vice-President, Torrance Police Foundation; Secretary, FBI Los Angeles Citizen's Academy Alumni Association; Former Torrance Education Foundation Board Member; Former El Camino College Foundation Board Member
  • Aaron Steven — Producer; Member SBAOR Affiliates in Action
  • Susan Swinburne — Former Executive Director of TEF
Party signals

What the public record shows about this candidate's party.

Five sourced signals, side by side. We don't compute a verdict.

Voter registration

Registered Republican with the Los Angeles County Registrar (queried January 2026). LA County Registrar →

What they’ve said

Hasn’t said publicly which party they identify with.

How press describes them

Local press hasn’t described their party.

Past partisan runs

Hasn’t run as a partisan candidate before.

Coalition
Endorsers

69 of 90 party-tagged

Donors

59 of 83 matched

53% Dem · 31% Rep · 17% NPP

Compare with Jon Kaji →
Verify

Don't take our word for it.

Sources cited on this page

  1. David Kartsonis for Torrance City Council 2026 — Home, accessed May 2026
  2. David Kartsonis for Torrance City Council 2026 — My Story, accessed May 2026
  3. South Bay Republicans — Candidates / Endorsements (LAGOP), accessed May 2026
  4. Riviera Homeowners Association / Seaside Neighborhood Association candidate forum, April 6, 2026
View raw filings on NetFile →