# Torrance Watch — full content snapshot

> Plain-text mirror of every race and candidate page on torrancewatch.org. Generated from the same Postgres source that renders the published site. Last built: 2026-08-24.

## About

Torrance Watch is a nonpartisan civic reference covering the City of Torrance June 2, 2026 municipal election: Mayor, City Treasurer, and Council Districts 1, 3, and 5. Independent, not affiliated with any campaign, party, or political organization.

## Editorial standard

Equal treatment of every candidate in every race. Same depth, same shape, same data presentation. We list facts; we don't rank. Every factual claim cites a public source via numbered footnote on the candidate page.

## District 1 Council race

Race page: https://torrancewatch.org/races/2026/district-1?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Overview: Background, positions, endorsements, and campaign finance for the Torrance District 1 council race, comparing Jon Kaji and David Kartsonis.

Context: Kaji led in money. Kartsonis led in local backing.

### Jon Kaji (Incumbent)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/jon-kaji?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.councilmankaji.com/
X / Twitter: https://x.com/jonkaji

Summary: Jon Kaji, the incumbent District 1 Councilmember in Torrance, has served on the council since 2022. He founded a real-estate firm in 1990 and is a South Bay native.

Background:
  - Career: Kaji founded Kaji & Associates, a commercial real estate firm in North Torrance, in 1990, and has owned and renovated three commercial shopping centers in the city.
  - Office: He was elected to the District 1 seat on the Torrance City Council in 2022 and chairs the council's Finance and Governmental Operations Committee.
  - Civic: He has previously served as president of the Gardena Valley JACL, president of the Gardena-Carson Family YMCA, and a member of the Japanese American National Museum Board of Governors.
  - Roots: A native of the South Bay, Kaji is a husband and father.

Positions:
  - Wants to annex El Camino Village: Originated the August 2024 staff-research request on annexation and supported creating the January 14, 2025 ad-hoc committee; cites the opportunity to extend Torrance Police patrol to El Camino College.
  - Wants stricter homelessness enforcement: Says he opposed the homeless-housing project on Torrance Blvd. and continues advocating for planning that puts the community first.
  - Says Torrance is fiscally healthy: Says his record includes bringing the city budget back into the black, strengthening reserves, and keeping essential services funded.
  - Opposed Project Homekey+ at the Extended Stay America hotel: Opposed Project Homekey+, the LA County and Weingart proposal to convert the Extended Stay America hotel on Torrance Boulevard into permanent supportive housing. Continues to advocate for 'planning that puts the community first.'
  - Backs the Metro C/Green Line extension: Says he works to give Torrance a strong voice in major transportation projects, including the Metro extension. Has not stated a public position on the route alternative or the alignment.

Endorsements:
  - Business (1):
    * Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles
  - Public safety (1):
    * Torrance Police Officers' Association

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Jon Kaji for Torrance City Council 2026 — campaign website, accessed May 2026: https://www.councilmankaji.com/
  2. Rafu Shimpo — 'Kaji Seeks Torrance City Council Seat,' June 2022: https://rafu.com/2022/06/kaji-seeks-torrance-city-council-seat/
  3. Rafu Shimpo — 'Jon Kaji Vying to Become Next Torrance Councilmember,' May 2020: https://rafu.com/2020/05/jon-kaji-vying-to-become-next-torrance-councilmember/
  4. El Camino College The Union, "Torrance Councilman Jon Kaji shares plans for El Camino College and the city," November 10, 2025: https://eccunion.com/news/2025/11/10/torrance-councilman-jon-kaji-shares-plans-for-el-camino-college-and-the-city/
  5. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14530

### David Kartsonis (Challenger)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/david-kartsonis?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.david4torrance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/David4Torrance/ · X / Twitter: https://x.com/dakart

Summary: 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.

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.
  - Office: 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.
  - Civic: 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.
  - Roots: A South Bay native, Kartsonis lives in North Torrance with his wife Mia and their two children.

Positions:
  - 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.
  - 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.
  - 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.
  - 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.
  - 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.
  - 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.
  - 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.

Endorsements:
  - 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
  - Advocacy (1):
    * Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
  - Business (2):
    * BizFedPAC
    * Young Leaders Political Action Committee
  - Political clubs (1):
    * Los Angeles County Republican Party (LAGOP)
  - State county (2):
    * 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
    * Janice Hahn — Los Angeles County Supervisor, 4th District; Former US Member of Congress
  - Federal (1):
    * Ted Lieu — US Member of Congress; Former Torrance Councilmember
  - Torrance officials (55):
    * 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
    * 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
    * Dave Zygielbaum — TUSD School Board Member
    * Anil Muhammed — TUSD School Board Member; Former Torrance Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association Board Member
    * Ann P. Gallagher — Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Beth Wilson — Former TUSD School 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
    * Estella Hill — Former Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner; Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board
    * 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
    * Robert Rudolph — Former Planning Commissioner; Former North Torrance Homeowners Association President
    * Elizabeth Pino — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * 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
    * Richard Tsao — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * Ed Candioty — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Tim Mock — Former Torrance Councilman
    * William 'Dan' Feliz — Parks and Recreation Commissioner
    * Jonah Hirata — Youth Commissioner
    * Andrea Reilly — Library Commissioner; Former Parks and Recreation Commissioner
  - Regional officials (15):
    * 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
    * Mark Burton — Former Manhattan Beach Mayor; Former Los Angeles Senior Assistant City Attorney; El Camino College Foundation Board Member
    * 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
    * Alex Vargas — Mayor for the City of Hawthorne
    * Margaret Finlay — Councilmember, City of Duarte; Former President, Southern California Association of Governments
    * Bill Beverly — El Camino College Trustee, Area 3
    * Siannah Collado Boutté — Former El Camino College Trustee; Former ECC Associated Students Organization President
    * Eman Dalili — Former El Camino College Trustee; Former ECC Student Body President; Gubernatorial Appointee to the California Board of Governors
    * Thomas Fallo — Former El Camino College Superintendent/President
    * Brooke Matson — Former El Camino College Trustee; Current Board Member of the El Camino College Foundation
    * John Vargas — Former El Camino College Trustee
  - Individuals (24):
    * 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
    * Daniel Ashcraft — Local small business owner; Former Torrance Police Department Chaplain
    * Gabriela Fischer — Torrance business owner, resident, and Founder of The Utopian Society Project
    * Arun Bhumitra — Torrance small business owner
    * Michael Shafer — Torrance Depot Restaurant owner
    * Derf Fredericks — Managing Broker, The Real Estate Group; Realtor
    * Totran Radke — Rancho Palos Verdes Infrastructure Management Advisory Committee Board Member; Former Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * William 'Bill' Oberholzer — SVP, Preferred Bank
    * Danny Fredericks — Realtor
    * Mary Hoffman — Former President, Vice President, and Treasurer of TEF; President of the Torrance Rose Float Association
    * Raphi Rebucas — Member, Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board (Ret.)
    * Aaron Steven — Producer; Member SBAOR Affiliates in Action
    * Pamela Popovich — Former Co-President, Riviera Homeowner Association
    * Kirk Rossberg — Owner, Torrance Bakery
    * Janet Payne — Community Volunteer
    * Jimmy Gow — Former Social Service Commissioner
    * Lili Trujillo Puckett — Community Advocate for Safer Streets
    * Susan Swinburne — Former Executive Director of TEF
    * Katrina Matthews — North Torrance Realtor
    * Tasha Gwilt — Realtor
    * Nancy Mannon — Former Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation President
    * Chad Mabery
    * Maggie Mabery
    * Shireen Ossanlo — Former Executive Director of the Torrance Education Foundation

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. David Kartsonis for Torrance City Council 2026 — Home, accessed May 2026: https://www.david4torrance.com/
  2. David Kartsonis for Torrance City Council 2026 — My Story, accessed May 2026: https://www.david4torrance.com/my-story/
  3. South Bay Republicans — Candidates / Endorsements (LAGOP), accessed May 2026: https://www.southbayrepublicans.com/candidates-endorsements
  4. Riviera Homeowners Association / Seaside Neighborhood Association candidate forum, April 6, 2026: https://hollywoodriviera.org/

## District 3 Council race

Race page: https://torrancewatch.org/races/2026/district-3?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Overview: Background, positions, endorsements, and campaign finance for the Torrance District 3 council race, comparing Asam Sheikh and Mike Mauno.

Context: Sheikh led Mauno in money. Sheikh also led in local backing.

### Asam Sheikh (Incumbent)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/asam-sheikh?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.voteasam2026.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteAsam2022/ · X / Twitter: https://x.com/asamsheikh

Summary: Asam Sheikh, the incumbent District 3 Councilmember in Torrance, has served on the council since 2022. He spent 28 years at Honda and is originally from Lahore, Pakistan.

Background:
  - Career: Sheikh has worked at American Honda Motor Co. for over 28 years in financial roles, including Senior Financial Analyst and Senior Auditor in the company's Financial Planning and Analysis department.
  - Office: He was elected to the Torrance City Council District 3 seat in 2022 and chairs the council's Strategic Planning Committee, with seats on the Finance, Governmental Operations, and Federal Legislative Advocacy committees.
  - Civic: Sheikh serves on the Torrance Education Foundation board and the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee, sits on the Southern California Association of Governments Transportation Committee, and has served as president of the Carson Homeowners Association.
  - Roots: Sheikh emigrated from Lahore, Pakistan, has been married to his wife Jill for 29 years, and is the father of two and grandfather of one.

Positions:
  - Opposes the homeless-housing site: Voted YES on the May 23, 2025 council resolution opposing the LA County and Weingart project to convert the Extended Stay America hotel on Torrance Blvd. into homeless housing.
  - Backs the city's temporary housing village: Says his record includes initiatives in which more than 90 unhoused residents transitioned to permanent housing, 42 through the temporary housing village and 48 through street outreach.
  - Voted for a Pride Month proclamation: Voted NO on the May 7, 2024 council resolution to issue a Pride Month proclamation; the proclamation passed 4-3.

Endorsements:
  - Public safety (3):
    * Torrance Police Officers' Association
    * Torrance Firefighters Association
    * Torrance Police Commanders Association
  - Labor (1):
    * AFSCME Local 1117 Torrance City Workers
  - Political clubs (4):
    * Torrance Democratic Club
    * Indivisible South Bay LA
    * Los Angeles County Democratic Party
    * Beach Cities Democrats
  - Federal (1):
    * Ted Lieu — US Member of Congress; Former Torrance Councilmember
  - State county (4):
    * Ben Allen — California State Senator
    * Al Muratsuchi — CA Assemblymember; Former Torrance School Board Member
    * Jeff Prang — LA County Assessor
    * 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
  - Torrance officials (36):
    * Bridgett Lewis — Councilmember; Former Civil Service Commissioner
    * Jeremy Gerson — Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Anil Muhammed — TUSD School Board Member; Former Torrance Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association Board Member
    * James Han — Torrance Unified School District Board
    * Dave Zygielbaum — TUSD School Board Member
    * G. Rick Marshall — Vice Chair, Torrance Airport Commission
    * Marianne Hamada — Civil Service Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association President
    * Teresa Furey — Social Services Commissioner
    * Robert 'Bob' Habel — Parks and Recreation Commissioner; Former Traffic Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
    * Keith Montoya — Commission on Aging Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
    * Cinda Herring — 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
    * Zohra Muhammed — Parks and Recreation Commissioner
    * Toni Sargent — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Greg Anunson — Vice Chair, Torrance Planning Commission
    * Randy Klinenberg — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Bill Reynolds — Civil Service Commissioner
    * Laurie Love — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner
    * Nyree Berry — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner
    * Jean Adelsman — Civil Service Commissioner; Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation Board Member
    * Ed Candioty — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Sue Siani — Chair, Torrance Water Commission
    * Julie Dojiri — Torrance City Commissioner
    * Patrick J. Furey — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Geoff Rizzo — Former Torrance Councilman; Former Torrance Police Lieutenant
    * Kurt Weideman — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
    * Bill Sutherland — Former Torrance City Councilmember
    * John Neu — Former Torrance Police Chief
    * Jimmy Gow — Former Social Service Commissioner
    * Rosie Javaid — Former Torrance Library Commissioner
    * Terry Ragins — Former TUSD Board Member
    * Elizabeth Pino — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * Marla Shwarts — Former Chair of Civil Service Commission
    * Garry Wright — Former Environmental Quality and Energy Commissioner
    * Melissa Wright — Social Services Commissioner; SST Citizen's Oversight Committee
    * Rowan FoxWood — Former Civil Service Commissioner
  - Regional officials (7):
    * Cindy Segawa — Mayor of the City of Lomita
    * Mark Waronek — Lomita City Councilman; Former Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce President; Former LA County Board of Supervisors South Bay Deputy
    * Tasha Cerda — Mayor of the City of Gardena
    * Teresa Acosta — City of Carlsbad Councilmember
    * Robert Katherman — District 2 Board Member, Water Replenishment District of Southern California; Former Torrance Water Commissioner
    * Ali Sajjad Taj — Artesia City Councilman
    * Raymond Jay — Southern California Director of Metropolitan Water District
  - Individuals (8):
    * Judy Brunetti — Former Co-President, Riviera Homeowners Association
    * Martha Deutsch — Former TEF President; TEF Board of Director
    * Nancy Hayata — Board Member of WWII Camp Wall
    * Mary Hoffman — Former President, Vice President, and Treasurer of TEF; President of the Torrance Rose Float Association
    * Mitchell Matsumura — Founder of South Bay Civic Breakfast Club
    * Kyoko Nancy Oda — Former Incarceree of Tule Lake Segregation Center
    * Lili Trujillo Puckett — Community Advocate for Safer Streets
    * Susan Swinburne — Former Executive Director of TEF
  - Advocacy (1):
    * Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Asam Sheikh for Torrance City Council 2026 — Meet Asam, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteasam2026.com/meet-asam
  2. Asam Sheikh for Torrance City Council 2026 — Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteasam2026.com/endorsements
  3. Indivisible South Bay LA — 2026 Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://indivisiblesouthbay.com/endorsements/
  4. Los Angeles County Democratic Party — 2026 Primary Election Digital Guide, accessed May 2026: https://www.lacdp.org/candidates
  5. Torrance Democratic Club — Upcoming Elections & Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://www.torrancedems.com/upcoming-elections-endorsements
  6. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14215, May 7, 2024 (Pride Month proclamation): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14215
  7. City of Torrance press release on Project HomeKey+, May 23, 2025: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629033157/https://www.torranceca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5126/16
  8. Davis Vanguard, "Torrance Plans Military-Style Camps and Arrest Policy to Tackle Homelessness," September 15, 2025: https://davisvanguard.org/2025/09/torrance-council-criminalizes-homelessness/
  9. Vote Asam 2026, "Why Vote Asam?" page, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteasam2026.com/why-vote-asam
  10. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14530

### Mike Mauno (Challenger)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/mike-mauno?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://mikemauno.com/

Summary: Mike Mauno, candidate for District 3 Council in Torrance, is a former Torrance City Councilmember with a career in construction management. He was born and raised in Torrance.

Background:
  - Career: Mauno owns Nordik Construction LLC, a construction-management firm in Torrance, and has served as an expert witness in construction-defect cases.
  - Office: He previously served on the Torrance City Council and on the Torrance Planning Commission.
  - Civic: Mauno has served on the boards of the Torrance-South Bay YMCA, the Torrance Redevelopment Agency, the Torrance Public Facilities and Building Corporation, and the Torrance Improvements Corporation, as well as the TUSD Long-Term Facilities Utilization Committee and the Los Angeles County West Vector Control District.
  - Roots: Born and raised in Torrance, Mauno graduated from Torrance High School and El Camino College and raised three children who attended Torrance Unified schools.

Positions:
  - Opposes the homeless-housing site: Has built his campaign on opposition to the LA County homeless-housing project at 3525 Torrance Blvd. and reportedly raised the $30 million property-valuation question with authorities.
  - Wants stronger oversight of the Torrance Refinery: Campaign-site Issues plank "The Future of the Torrance Refinery" says he is one of the only local leaders willing to stand up to big oil and demand an end to dangerous chemicals leaching into neighborhoods; cites his book proposing an environmental clean-up plan and a beneficial land use for when the refinery is decommissioned.

Endorsements:
  - Political clubs (1):
    * California Republican Assembly
  - Torrance officials (5):
    * George Chen — City of Torrance Mayor
    * Jon Kaji — Torrance Council Member District 1
    * Aurelio Mattucci — Torrance City Councilman
    * Dylan Wakayama — Small Business Owner, Torrance Airport Commissioner
    * Mark Tsuneishi — Former Torrance Traffic Commissioner, Torrance Business Owner
  - Business (1):
    * Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Mike Mauno for Torrance City Council 2026 — About, accessed May 2026, original page offline as of August 2026: https://mikemauno.com/about/
  2. Mike Mauno for Torrance City Council 2026 — Endorsements, accessed May 2026, original page offline as of August 2026: https://mikemauno.com/endorsements/
  3. California Republican Assembly — 2026 Primary Election Endorsements, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260605013055/https://cragop.org/2026-primary-election-endorsements/
  4. KTLA, "California city questions $30M price tag for homeless housing project," March 2026: https://ktla.com/news/california/torrance-homeless-hotel-appraisal/

## District 5 Council race

Race page: https://torrancewatch.org/races/2026/district-5?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Overview: Background, positions, endorsements, and campaign finance for the Torrance District 5 council race, comparing Betty Lieu and Michelle K. Brooks.

Context: Lieu led Brooks in money. Lieu also led in local backing.

### Michelle K. Brooks (Open Seat Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/michelle-brooks?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://brooks2026.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brooks2026/

Summary: Michelle K. Brooks, candidate for District 5 Council in Torrance, is a former Peace Corps chief of staff with a career across aerospace and policy. Her family has lived in Hollywood Riviera for 60+ years.

Background:
  - Career: Brooks worked in aerospace early in her career before shifting to public policy, serving eight years as the local-government representative for a statewide trade association and later as director of communities for the Manufactured Housing Institute and vice president of government relations for the Council of Federal Home Loan Banks; she currently owns a small business in Torrance.
  - Office: She served at the US Peace Corps as deputy chief of staff and director of Congressional Relations from 2002 to 2009, and returned in 2018 as chief of staff overseeing the agency's $410 million budget, 1,100 staff, and 6,000 volunteers worldwide.
  - Roots: Brooks grew up in Torrance's Hollywood Riviera, where her family has been part of the neighborhood for more than 60 years; she returned in 2021 to care for her elderly mother and is raising a daughter adopted from India.

Positions:
  - Wants stronger limits on hillside ADUs: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, acknowledged challenges from state ADU laws overriding the local hillside-protection rules and indicated support for working to strengthen the rules, without committing to specific language.
  - Wants vendors at the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, said the city should keep consistent rules for the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights display.

Endorsements:
  - Political clubs (1):
    * California Republican Assembly
  - Business (1):
    * Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Michelle Brooks for Torrance City Council 2026 — About, accessed May 2026: https://brooks2026.com/about/
  2. California Republican Assembly — 2026 Primary Election Endorsements, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260605013055/https://cragop.org/2026-primary-election-endorsements/
  3. Daily Breeze, "Torrance mayoral and District 5 candidates discuss Sleepy Hollow lights, ADUs," April 9, 2026: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2026/04/09/torrance-mayoral-and-district-5-candidates-discuss-sleepy-hollow-lights-adus/
  4. Michelle Brooks for Torrance City Council — Issues, accessed May 2026: https://brooks2026.com/issues/

### Betty Lieu (Open Seat Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/betty-lieu?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.bettylieu.com/
X / Twitter: https://x.com/betty_lieu

Summary: Betty Lieu, candidate for District 5 Council in Torrance, has served on the Torrance Unified School District Board since 2018. She is a former California Deputy Attorney General and is raising two sons in Torrance.

Background:
  - Career: Lieu is a former Deputy Attorney General and felony prosecutor at the California Department of Justice and previously worked as a civil-defense litigator at a downtown Los Angeles law firm.
  - Office: She has served on the Torrance Unified School District Board of Education since November 2018 and is currently its president, having previously served as a Torrance Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner.
  - Civic: Lieu sits on the California Advisory Commission on Special Education and the board of the Volunteer Center of South Bay, and has held leadership roles in the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the Southern California Chinese Lawyers Association, and the Torrance Education Foundation.
  - Roots: Lieu and her husband Ted have raised two sons in Torrance, both educated through Torrance Unified schools.

Positions:
  - Wants stronger limits on hillside ADUs: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, said she supports rewriting the local hillside-protection rules to remove the ADU exception.
  - Wants vendors at the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, said she would allow cottage-food vendors at the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights display.

Endorsements:
  - Public safety (3):
    * Torrance Firefighters Association
    * Torrance Police Officers' Association
    * Torrance Police Commanders Association
  - Political clubs (4):
    * Torrance Democratic Club
    * Indivisible South Bay LA
    * Los Angeles County Democratic Party
    * Beach Cities Democrats
  - State county (1):
    * 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
  - Torrance officials (11):
    * Sharon Kalani — Mayor Pro-Tem; Councilmember
    * Bridgett Lewis — Councilmember; Former Civil Service Commissioner
    * Jeremy Gerson — Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Asam Sheikh — Councilmember; Former Planning Commissioner
    * Patrick J. Furey — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Dan Walker — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Heidi Ann Ashcraft — Former Torrance Councilwoman; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Bill Sutherland — Former Torrance City Councilmember
    * Geoff Rizzo — Former Torrance Councilman; Former Torrance Police Lieutenant
    * Cliff Numark — Former Torrance Councilman; Former El Camino College Trustee
    * Kurt Weideman — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
  - Advocacy (1):
    * Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Betty Lieu for Torrance City Council 2026 — campaign website, accessed May 2026: https://www.bettylieu.com/
  2. Torrance Unified School District — Betty Lieu, Esq. (Board of Education), accessed May 2026: https://www.tusd.org/boe/people/657136/betty-lieu
  3. Betty Lieu for Torrance City Council 2026 — Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://www.bettylieu.com/endorsements
  4. Torrance Democratic Club — Upcoming Elections & Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://www.torrancedems.com/upcoming-elections-endorsements
  5. Indivisible South Bay LA — 2026 Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://indivisiblesouthbay.com/endorsements/
  6. Los Angeles County Democratic Party — 2026 Primary Election Digital Guide, accessed May 2026: https://www.lacdp.org/candidates
  7. Daily Breeze, "Torrance mayoral and District 5 candidates discuss Sleepy Hollow lights, ADUs," April 9, 2026: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2026/04/09/torrance-mayoral-and-district-5-candidates-discuss-sleepy-hollow-lights-adus/

### Harry Ward MD (Open Seat Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/harry-ward?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.harrywardmd4torrance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61584619345049/

Summary: Harry Ward MD, a challenger for Torrance City Council District 5, is a board-certified nephrologist and internal medicine specialist. He earned his MD with honors at Howard University in 1976 and completed fellowship training in renal immunopathology and clinical nephrology at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1979 to 1982. He retired as a Captain in the US Navy Reserve Medical Corps after more than 30 years, with deployments during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Background:
  - Career: Board-certified nephrologist and internal medicine specialist (MD with honors, Howard University, 1976; fellowship training at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center from 1979 to 1982); also served over 30 years in the US Navy Reserve Medical Corps, retiring as Captain and Deputy Surgeon for Commander, US Pacific Fleet, with deployments during Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
  - Roots: Has practiced internal medicine and nephrology at the Harbor-UCLA campus in Torrance for over four decades.

Positions:
  - Wants stronger limits on hillside ADUs: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, said homeowners will need to work much more closely with the City Council and pressure state legislators on rewriting the hillside rules to better protect views.
  - Wants vendors at the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights: At the April 6, 2026 Riviera HOA / Seaside Neighborhood Association forum, proposed creating a city approval process for vendors at the Sleepy Hollow holiday lights display.

Endorsements:
  - Regional officials (3):
    * Betty Chu — Former Mayor of Monterey Park
    * George Barks — Former Mayor of Hermosa Beach
    * Willard Yamaguchi — Former Member, Montebello Unified School District Board of Education
  - Individuals (7):
    * Scott Margolin — Sergeant (Ret.), Torrance Police Department
    * Martin Koyle, MD — Professor of Urologic Surgery (Ret.), University of Colorado
    * Carolyn L. Yancey, MD — Medical Officer (Ret.), US Food and Drug Administration
    * Jaydutt Vadgama, PhD — Endowed Professor of Research Medicine (Ret.), Drew and UCLA Schools of Medicine
    * Vinod Dhawan, MD — Professor of Medicine (Ret.), UCLA School of Medicine
    * Gary C. Dennis, MD — Professor of Neurosurgery (Ret.), Howard University College of Medicine
    * David BN Lee, MD — Professor of Medicine (Ret.), David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Harry Ward MD for Torrance City Council District 5, campaign website, accessed May 2026: https://www.harrywardmd4torrance.com/
  2. Daily Breeze, "Torrance mayoral and District 5 candidates discuss Sleepy Hollow lights, ADUs," April 9, 2026: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2026/04/09/torrance-mayoral-and-district-5-candidates-discuss-sleepy-hollow-lights-adus/
  3. JurisPro Expert Witness Directory, Harry J. Ward, MD profile (accessed May 17, 2026): https://www.jurispro.com/expert/harry-ward-md-9839
  4. HealthLynked physician directory, Dr. Harry J Ward, MD profile (accessed May 17, 2026): https://www.healthlynked.com/doctor/harry-ward/

## Mayor race

Race page: https://torrancewatch.org/races/2026/mayor?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Overview: Background, positions, endorsements, and campaign finance for the Torrance mayoral race, comparing George Chen and Sharon Kalani.

Context: Chen led in money. Kalani led in local backing.

### George Chen (Incumbent)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/george-chen?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://web.archive.org/web/20260521143626/https://www.vote4georgechen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/georgechenmayor/

Summary: George Chen, the incumbent Mayor of Torrance, has served in that office since 2022. He spent 33 years in the aerospace industry and has been a Torrance resident since 1992.

Background:
  - Career: Chen retired in 2017 as a senior program manager after a 33-year career at Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon.
  - Office: He was elected to the Torrance City Council at-large in 2018, then to the District 2 council seat in the city's first district-based election in 2020, and to mayor in 2022.
  - Civic: He is a member of the Torrance Kiwanis.
  - Roots: A Torrance resident since 1992, Chen is married with two adult children.

Positions:
  - Backs Torrance's overseas-partner program: Says he led the effort to build Sister and Friendship Cities partnerships abroad for cultural exchange and to bring tourism and investment to Torrance.
  - Wants to annex El Camino Village: Has publicly backed advancing the annexation of the El Camino Village neighborhood at the January 14, 2025 council meeting and at 2026 candidate forums.
  - Voted against the homeless-housing site: Voted YES on the May 23, 2025 council resolution opposing the LA County and Weingart project to convert the Extended Stay America hotel on Torrance Blvd. into homeless housing.
  - Voted for the airport practice-landing ban: Voted NO on the January 23, 2024 first reading of Ordinance No. 3929, restricting touch-and-go landings, full stop-taxi back, and low approaches at Zamperini Field. The ordinance was approved 5 to 1, with one councilmember recused.
  - Voted for a Pride Month proclamation: Voted NO on the May 7, 2024 council resolution to issue a Pride Month proclamation; the proclamation passed 4-3.
  - Backed Measure SST in 2022: Did not back Measure SST, the ½-cent city sales tax Torrance voters approved on June 7, 2022. Told the Daily Breeze in August 2022 that 'raising sales taxes is the easy knob, because we basically put the onus on everyone else,' adding 'just cranking a sales tax, you'll never end, you're going to keep cranking that because that's the easy way.'

Endorsements:
  - Torrance officials (13):
    * Aurelio Mattucci — Torrance City Councilman
    * Jon Kaji — Torrance Council Member District 1
    * James Han — Torrance Unified School District Board
    * Mike Mauno — Former Torrance City Council Member
    * Ed Candioty — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Ron Mataalii — Torrance Parks and Recreation Commissioner
    * Richard Tsao — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * Mark Tsuneishi — Former Torrance Traffic Commissioner, Torrance Business Owner
    * Mark Choi — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner, Torrance Resident
    * Dennis Piotrowski — Torrance Library Commissioner (endorsing as citizen/resident)
    * Mike Gunnar — Former Torrance City Commissioner, Retired Financial Consultant
    * Dylan Wakayama — Small Business Owner, Torrance Airport Commissioner
    * Mike Gibson — Torrance Traffic Commission Member
  - Regional officials (25):
    * Jawane Hilton — Carson City Councilman
    * Drew Boyles — El Segundo City Councilman
    * Arlene Rojas — Carson City Councilwoman
    * John Cruikshank — Former Mayor for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
    * Rodney Tanaka — Gardena Councilman
    * The Honorable Heidi Shyu — Former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering for DoD, Former Asst Secretary of the Army
    * David McGowan — Palos Verdes Estates Councilman
    * William (Bill) Uphoff — Council Member for the City of Lomita
    * Betty Lin-Peterson — Former Palos Verdes Estates Mayor
    * Joe Franklin — Manhattan Beach City Mayor Pro Tem
    * Cedric Hicks — Carson City Councilman
    * Pat Wilson — Rolling Hills City Councilman
    * Bea Dieringer — City of Rolling Hills Mayor Pro Tem
    * Dave Albert — Former Mayor of Lomita
    * Frank Zerunyan — Rolling Hills Estates Councilman
    * Russ Lesser — Former Mayor of Manhattan Beach, Local South Bay Business Owner
    * Chuong Vo — Former Mayor of Cerritos, Retired Torrance Police Officer
    * Steve Napolitano — Former Mayor of Manhattan Beach
    * Brit Huff — Councilwoman of Rolling Hills Estates
    * Kenny Kao — Former Mayor of Palos Verdes Estates
    * Carol Kwan — Former West Basin Municipal Water District 3 Director
    * Bernadette Suarez — City of Lawndale Council Member
    * Olivia Valentine — City of Hawthorne Councilmember
    * Mike Gin — Former Mayor of Redondo Beach
    * David Hadley — Former California State Assemblyman, 66th Assembly District
  - Individuals (14):
    * Ted Jones — Rotary International
    * Guy and Lili Puckett — President of ArchiveIT, Executive Director of Street Racing Kill
    * David Henry Hwang — Tony Award-winning American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor
    * Allen James — Former U.S. Olympic Racewalker (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996)
    * TerriAnn Ferren — Author, Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce, Former columnist for the Torrance Tribune, Torrance Cultural Arts
    * Gabriela and Cristian Fischer — Local Resident & Small Business Owner
    * Don Wortman — Grand Master of Kukkido Martial Arts
    * Tony and Jessica
    * Noah Ellis — Small e-Commerce Business
    * Ian Walter — Small Business Operating Partner
    * Jeremy Okawa — Small Business Owner
    * Matt Aleman — Torrance Resident & Director of Business Development
    * Ricky Pennington — Small Business Owner
    * Paloma Elise
  - State county (1):
    * Alex Villanueva — Former Los Angeles County Sheriff
  - Political clubs (1):
    * California Republican Assembly
  - Business (1):
    * Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Vote 4 George Chen — about, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260408185021/https://www.vote4georgechen.com/about.html
  2. Vote 4 George Chen — qualifications, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260418201824/https://www.vote4georgechen.com/qualifications.html
  3. Vote 4 George Chen — about (council bio), accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260306114650/https://www.vote4georgechen.com/about-george4.html
  4. Friends of Madrona Marsh, Mayoral candidate Q&A, May 1, 2026: https://www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com/article/mayoral-candidates-talk-about-the-marsh/
  5. City of Torrance press release on Project HomeKey+, May 23, 2025: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629033157/https://www.torranceca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5126/16
  6. Davis Vanguard, "Torrance Plans Military-Style Camps and Arrest Policy to Tackle Homelessness," September 15, 2025: https://davisvanguard.org/2025/09/torrance-council-criminalizes-homelessness/
  7. General Aviation News, "Touch and goes banned at KTOA," February 5, 2024: https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/02/05/touch-and-goes-banned-at-ktoa/
  8. League of Women Voters Torrance Area, mayoral and treasurer candidate forum, April 23, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyx2A7kIq3xu75Yub3J83pQ
  9. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14215, May 7, 2024 (Pride Month proclamation): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14215
  10. Torrance City Council, Granicus video, January 14, 2025 (El Camino Village ad-hoc committee): https://torrance.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=8
  11. Vote 4 George Chen — Values & Priorities, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260413213716/https://www.vote4georgechen.com/values--priorities.html
  12. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14530
  13. Daily Breeze, "A month into his term, Torrance's new mayor discusses life, city priorities" (Clara Harter), August 8, 2022: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2022/08/08/a-month-into-his-term-torrances-new-mayor-discusses-life-city-priorities/
  14. City of Torrance, City Clerk report on the second and final reading of Ordinance No. 3929, February 6, 2024, recording the January 23, 2024 roll call: https://torrance.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14185&meta_id=368671

### Sharon Kalani (Challenger)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/sharon-kalani?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.sharonkalaniformayor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sharon4Torrance/

Summary: Sharon Kalani, candidate for Mayor of Torrance, has served on the City Council since 2020. She spent 25 years in banking and has been a Torrance resident since 1981.

Background:
  - Career: Kalani worked more than 25 years in banking, retiring at the senior vice president level, and has been an advisor at Green Hills Memorial Park for over 18 years.
  - Office: She was elected to the Torrance City Council in District 4 in 2020 and re-elected in 2024, and has served two terms as Mayor Pro Tem, in 2020 and 2023.
  - Civic: She is a past chairperson and current board member of the Torrance South Bay YMCA.
  - Roots: A Torrance resident since 1981, Kalani is married with two adult children.

Positions:
  - Backs Torrance's overseas-partner program: At the April 23, 2026 League of Women Voters mayoral forum, argued the Sister Cities program has produced no measurable business returns despite consuming city staff time and budget.
  - Voted against the homeless-housing site: Voted YES on the May 23, 2025 council resolution opposing the LA County and Weingart project to convert the Extended Stay America hotel on Torrance Blvd. into homeless housing.
  - Wants to annex El Camino Village: Has publicly opposed annexing El Camino Village, citing city staff cost figures and framing her campaign motto "Back to the Business of Torrance" against the project at the April 23, 2026 LWV mayoral forum.
  - Voted for the airport practice-landing ban: Recused from the January 23, 2024 first reading of Ordinance No. 3929, restricting touch-and-go landings, full stop-taxi back, and low approaches at Zamperini Field. The official roll call records her as recused, casting no vote; the ordinance was approved 5 to 1.
  - Voted for a Pride Month proclamation: Voted YES on the May 7, 2024 council resolution to issue a Pride Month proclamation; the proclamation passed 4-3.
  - Backed Measure SST in 2022: As District 4 councilmember (elected 2020, re-elected 2024), backed Measure SST, the ½-cent sales tax Torrance voters approved on June 7, 2022. In the 2024 Measure TC debate, per Daily Breeze coverage, argued the proposed council pay raise should not be folded into TC because it came too soon after Measure SST's passage.

Endorsements:
  - Torrance officials (27):
    * Frank Scotto — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Patrick J. Furey — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Bridgett Lewis — Councilmember; Former Civil Service Commissioner
    * Asam Sheikh — Councilmember; Former Planning Commissioner
    * Jeremy Gerson — Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Mike Griffiths — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
    * Heidi Aschcraft — Councilmember
    * Paul Nowatka — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Retired TPD
    * Tom Brewer — Former Torrance City Councilmember
    * Bill Sutherland — Former Torrance City Councilmember
    * Jack Walser — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Former Water Commission Chair; WALSER's Business Owner in Torrance
    * Cliff Numark — Former Torrance Councilman; Former El Camino College Trustee
    * Milton Herring — Councilmember
    * Geoff Rizzo — Former Torrance Councilman; Former Torrance Police Lieutenant
    * Linda Barnett — Former Torrance City Treasurer
    * Sue Herbers — Former Torrance City Clerk
    * Betty Lieu — TUSD Board President
    * Teresa Furey — Social Services Commissioner
    * Mario Obejas — Planning Commissioner
    * Cindy Scotto — Commissioner
    * Laurie Love — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner
    * Randy Klinenberg — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * David Kartsonis — Chair, Torrance Planning Commission
    * Melissa Wright — Social Services Commissioner; SST Citizen's Oversight Committee
    * Keith Montoya — Commission on Aging Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
    * Robert 'Bob' Habel — Parks and Recreation Commissioner; Former Traffic Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
    * Bill Reynolds (Former Social Services Commission Chair)
  - State county (2):
    * 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
    * Janice Hahn — Los Angeles County Supervisor, 4th District; Former US Member of Congress
  - Regional officials (1):
    * Tim McOsker — LA Councilmember
  - Public safety (3):
    * Torrance Firefighters Association
    * Torrance Police Officers' Association
    * Torrance Police Commanders Association
  - Labor (4):
    * CSEA Chapter 845
    * UA Local 250
    * Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
    * LiUNA! Laborers Local 1309
  - Advocacy (2):
    * Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
    * LA Forward
  - Individuals (61):
    * Lowell Hardison — Husband of Former Torrance Mayor Dee Hardison
    * Helen Nowatka
    * Kirk Rossberg — Owner, Torrance Bakery
    * Janet Payne — Community Volunteer
    * Raphi Rebucas — Member, Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board (Ret.)
    * Michele Nadeau
    * Michele Drake-Richardson
    * Merrietta Fong
    * Marla Shwarts — Former Chair of Civil Service Commission
    * Martha Deutsch — Former TEF President; TEF Board of Director
    * Lisa Batchelor
    * Irma & Bob Chiota
    * Richard Johnson
    * Michelle Calhoun
    * Geno Imbriale
    * Jill Maroney
    * Lauren Capon
    * Kathleen Chaney
    * Pamela Popovich — Former Co-President, Riviera Homeowner Association
    * James Berger — Retired History Teacher
    * Robert Calderon
    * Paco Flores
    * Monica Collins-Blackey
    * Thomas Saulenas
    * Theresa Mack
    * Alissa and Dan Materman — Torrance Residents
    * Jimmy Titiriga
    * Nanette Pastor-Hanna
    * Amber Rosson
    * Isabella Torres
    * Robyn Eagles
    * Lauren Pfeifer
    * Betty Robertson
    * Gene Barnett
    * Samuel Batchelor
    * Judith Gerber
    * Joy Coffey
    * Jon Castro
    * Michael Cowan
    * Tom Lane
    * Claire & Joel Greenwald
    * Peter Lefevre (University Administrator)
    * Suzan Hubert
    * Paul Moon
    * Katherine Serna
    * Gayle Taylor
    * Keri Gilbert
    * Norma Martínez
    * Mitzi Calhoun
    * Nathan Esser
    * Kathleen Chaney
    * Adam Schwartz — Torrance Historic Preservation Commissioner
    * Ryan Rauzon
    * Jim Montgomery
    * Arthur Molina
    * Nina Shaw
    * Laura Stratton
    * Julie Dojiri — Torrance City Commissioner
    * David Gibson
    * Cathy Gonzales
    * Jimmy Gow — Former Social Service Commissioner

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Sharon Kalani for Mayor — campaign website, accessed May 2026: https://www.sharonkalaniformayor.com/
  2. Sharon Kalani, Councilmember | City of Torrance, accessed May 2026: https://www.torranceca.gov/Government/City-Council/Kalani
  3. Friends of Madrona Marsh, Mayoral candidate Q&A, May 1, 2026: https://www.friendsofmadronamarsh.com/article/mayoral-candidates-talk-about-the-marsh/
  4. City of Torrance press release on Project HomeKey+, May 23, 2025: https://web.archive.org/web/20250629033157/https://www.torranceca.gov/Home/Components/News/News/5126/16
  5. Davis Vanguard, "Torrance Plans Military-Style Camps and Arrest Policy to Tackle Homelessness," September 15, 2025: https://davisvanguard.org/2025/09/torrance-council-criminalizes-homelessness/
  6. General Aviation News, "Touch and goes banned at KTOA," February 5, 2024: https://generalaviationnews.com/2024/02/05/touch-and-goes-banned-at-ktoa/
  7. League of Women Voters Torrance Area, mayoral and treasurer candidate forum, April 23, 2026: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyx2A7kIq3xu75Yub3J83pQ
  8. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14215, May 7, 2024 (Pride Month proclamation): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14215
  9. Sharon Kalani for Mayor — Issues, accessed May 2026: https://www.sharonkalaniformayor.com/issues
  10. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density): https://torrance.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14530
  11. Daily Breeze, "Torrance Measure TC Would Reform City Charter, Increase Council Pay," October 26, 2024, original page offline as of August 2026: https://www.dailybreeze.com/2024/10/26/torrance-measure-tc-would-reform-the-citys-charter-and-increase-council-pay/
  12. City of Torrance, City Clerk report on the second and final reading of Ordinance No. 3929, February 6, 2024, recording the January 23, 2024 roll call: https://torrance.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=8&clip_id=14185&meta_id=368671

## City Treasurer race

Race page: https://torrancewatch.org/races/2026/treasurer?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Overview: Background, positions, endorsements, and campaign finance for the Torrance City Treasurer race, comparing Aurelio Mattucci and Mike Griffiths.

Context: Mattucci led in money. Griffiths led in local backing.

### Charles Deemer (Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/charles-deemer?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026

Endorsements:
  (no endorsements published as of build date)

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Ballotpedia, Charles Michel Deemer (Torrance Unified School District school board, candidate 2024): https://ballotpedia.org/Charles_Michel_Deemer_(Torrance_Unified_School_District_school_board_Trustee_Area_E,_California,_candidate_2024)

### Mike Griffiths (Open Seat Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/mike-griffiths?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://web.archive.org/web/20260511040623/https://ilikemike4torrance.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ILikeMike2026/ · X / Twitter: https://x.com/councilmanmikeg

Summary: Mike Griffiths, candidate for City Treasurer in Torrance, served on the City Council from 2014 to 2024. He founded a tech firm in 1986 and has been a Torrance resident for 40+ years.

Background:
  - Career: Griffiths started a Torrance-based computer-systems and networking business in 1986, grew it to roughly $10 million in annual revenue, and sold it in 2000 before the dot-com crash.
  - Office: He served on the Torrance City Council from August 2014 until being termed out in 2024, and previously chaired the Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commission and served on the Torrance Planning Commission.
  - Civic: Griffiths has served on the Board of Managers of the Torrance-South Bay YMCA for 29 years and on the board of the Torrance Salvation Army for eight years (recently as chair), sits on the advisory board of the Western Museum of Flight, and founded California Cities for Local Control.
  - Roots: A native Southern Californian, Griffiths has lived in Torrance for over 40 years and raised two sons through Torrance Unified schools.

Positions:
  - Frames the Treasurer role as low-risk stewardship: Says the Treasurer is a position of trust earned through stable service and proven results, citing 10 years on the Torrance City Council managing budgets and complex financial decisions.

Endorsements:
  - State county (2):
    * Al Muratsuchi — CA Assemblymember; Former Torrance School Board Member
    * 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
  - Torrance officials (34):
    * Sharon Kalani — Mayor Pro-Tem; Councilmember
    * Jeremy Gerson — Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Anil Muhammed — TUSD School Board Member; Former Torrance Commissioner; North Torrance Neighborhood Association Board Member
    * Randy Klinenberg — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Adam Schwartz — Torrance Historic Preservation Commissioner
    * Julie Dojiri — Torrance City Commissioner
    * Melissa Wright — Social Services Commissioner; SST Citizen's Oversight Committee
    * Garrett Wright — Parks and Recreation Commissioner (endorsing as citizen, not commissioner)
    * Dennis Piotrowski — Torrance Library Commissioner (endorsing as citizen/resident)
    * David Kartsonis — Chair, Torrance Planning Commission
    * Jean Adelsman — Civil Service Commissioner; Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation Board Member
    * Ginny Suruki — Torrance City Commissioner
    * Laurie Love — Environmental Quality and Energy Conservation Commissioner
    * Sue Siani — Chair, Torrance Water Commission
    * Ed Candioty — Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Michelle Polcari — Torrance City Commissioner
    * Rosie Mayfield — Torrance City Commissioner
    * Dan Thomas — Water Commissioner; Former Traffic Commissioner; Former Torrance Area Chamber of Commerce Technology Chair
    * Linda Barnett — Former Torrance City Treasurer
    * Frank Scotto — Former Torrance Mayor
    * Heidi Ann Ashcraft — Former Torrance Councilwoman; Former TUSD School Board Member
    * Tom Brewer — Former Torrance City Councilmember
    * Jack Walser — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Former Water Commission Chair; WALSER's Business Owner in Torrance
    * Kurt Weideman — Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
    * Paul Nowatka — Former Torrance City Councilmember; Retired TPD
    * Dan Feliz — Former Parks and Recreation Commissioner
    * Dave & Toni Sargent — Traffic Commissioner (Retired) and Cultural Arts Commissioner (Retired)
    * Robert Baxter — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * Dale Korman — Former Torrance Commissioner
    * Elizabeth Pino — Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
    * Hazel Taniguchi — Former Torrance Commissioner
    * Totran Radke — Rancho Palos Verdes Infrastructure Management Advisory Committee Board Member; Former Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
    * Reva Skoll — Former City Employee; Former Civil Service Commissioner
    * Karen Galvin — Former Traffic Commissioner
  - Regional officials (5):
    * Steve Perestam — Rancho Palos Verdes Councilmember
    * Steve Aspel — Former Redondo Beach Mayor
    * Bob Holmes — Former Manhattan Beach Mayor
    * Russ LeFevre — Retired Director, Metropolitan Water District
    * Joan Davidson — Former PVPUSD School Board President
  - Individuals (38):
    * Bruce Arnheim — Retired
    * James Berger — Retired History Teacher
    * Tricia Blanco — Former President, Seaside Neighborhood Association
    * Dave Brent — Torrance Resident
    * Brenda Chan
    * Kathi Cheney — Resident
    * Cynthia Constantino
    * Peggy Dowell
    * Robert Dowell
    * Linda Dryer — Torrance Resident
    * Lori Eurich — Community Volunteer
    * Jimmy Gow — Former Social Service Commissioner
    * Claire Greenwald
    * Joel Greenwald
    * Lowell Hardison — Husband of Former Torrance Mayor Dee Hardison
    * David Henseler — President-Elect, Rotary Club of South Bay Sunrise Torrance; Torrance Chamber of Commerce Man of Action 2025
    * Mark Iinuma — Retired (32 years) City of Torrance Employee; 60+ Year Torrance Resident
    * Helen Itabashi — Paralegal
    * Joan Jones — Torrance Resident
    * Amy Josefek — Previous Co-President, Riviera Homeowners Association
    * Patrice Lefevre — President of Torrance Art Museum Advocates; Secretary of Torrance Education Foundation
    * Peter LeFevre — Library Commission Chairperson
    * Russ Lesser — Former Mayor of Manhattan Beach, Local South Bay Business Owner
    * David MacPherson — Retired
    * Sherrie Mancera — Resident
    * Alissa and Dan Materman — Torrance Residents
    * James Miller
    * Keith Montoya — Commission on Aging Commissioner; Torrance Citizen of the Year
    * Gail Morgan — Torrance Resident
    * James Olds
    * Janet Payne — Community Volunteer
    * Fred Peitzman
    * Karen Pryor — Resident of Torrance
    * Kirk Rossberg — Owner, Torrance Bakery
    * Judy Shafer
    * Jeannine Speros
    * Lisa Terlazzo — Retired City of Torrance Employee (Treasurer's Dept.)
    * Margherite Vetrano

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Mike Griffiths for Torrance City Treasurer 2026 — Meet Mike, accessed May 2026, original page offline as of August 2026: https://www.ilikemike4torrance.com/meet_mike
  2. Mike Griffiths for Torrance City Treasurer 2026 — Endorsements, accessed May 2026, original page offline as of August 2026: https://www.ilikemike4torrance.com/view-endorsements
  3. Torrance Democratic Club — Upcoming Elections & Endorsements (Jimmy Gow personal recommendation), accessed May 2026: https://www.torrancedems.com/upcoming-elections-endorsements

### Aurelio Mattucci (Open Seat Candidate)
URL: https://torrancewatch.org/candidates/aurelio-mattucci?utm_source=common_crawl&utm_medium=ai&utm_campaign=election_2026
Official website: https://www.voteformattucci.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aureliomattuccifans/ · X / Twitter: https://x.com/aureliomattucci

Summary: Aurelio Mattucci, candidate for City Treasurer in Torrance, has served on the City Council since 2018. He has built multiple businesses and has been a Torrance resident since 1977.

Background:
  - Career: Mattucci has built and operated multiple businesses across plumbing, formalwear, retail, and real estate, expanding an international formalwear brand to 600 locations and operating a real-estate brokerage that grew to 185 agents.
  - Office: He was elected to the Torrance City Council in June 2018 and re-elected in 2022, currently chairing the council's Transportation Committee and Armed Forces Day Committee, and previously served as Vice Chair of the Torrance Social Services Commission.
  - Civic: Mattucci serves as a Torrance Police Department Neighborhood Watch Captain, vice president of the board of the New Challenge Ministries food bank, and founder of the Unified Small Business Alliance, and previously served on the board of the Torrance Rose Float Association.
  - Roots: Born in Pescara, Italy, Mattucci immigrated to the United States as a young child and has been a Torrance resident on and off since 1977.

Positions:
  - Frames the Treasurer role as low-risk stewardship: Says the City Treasurer is there to ensure compliance and maximum return with minimal risk, citing managing $50 million in holdings as relevant experience.

Endorsements:
  - Labor (1):
    * AFSCME Local 1117 Torrance City Workers
  - Political clubs (1):
    * California Republican Assembly
  - Torrance officials (9):
    * George Chen — City of Torrance Mayor
    * Jon Kaji — Torrance Council Member District 1
    * Dylan Wakayama — Small Business Owner, Torrance Airport Commissioner
    * Ron Mataalii — Torrance Parks and Recreation Commissioner
    * Novelette Witt — Torrance Social Services Commissioner
    * Mike Mauno — Former Torrance City Council Member
    * Rod Guyton — Former Torrance City Council Member
    * Raphi Rebucas — Member, Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board (Ret.)
    * Mark Tsuneishi — Former Torrance Traffic Commissioner, Torrance Business Owner
  - State county (1):
    * David Hadley — Former California State Assemblyman, 66th Assembly District
  - Regional officials (16):
    * Tasha Cerda — Mayor of the City of Gardena
    * Alex Vargas — Mayor for the City of Hawthorne
    * Bernadette Suarez — City of Lawndale Council Member
    * Olivia Valentine — City of Hawthorne Councilmember
    * Bea Dieringer — City of Rolling Hills Mayor Pro Tem
    * Sergio Mortara — Hawthorne School Board Member
    * Tony Wu — Current Councilman and Former Mayor at City of West Covina
    * Michael Kemps — Mayor of Palos Verdes Estates
    * William (Bill) Uphoff — Council Member for the City of Lomita
    * Yosuke Yamashita — City of Kashiwa Council Member
    * John Cruikshank — Former Mayor for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
    * Suzanne Fuentes — Mayor, City of El Segundo (Retired)
    * Danny Juarez — Former Hawthorne Mayor
    * Joe Buscaino — Former Los Angeles City Councilman from District 15
    * Betty Lin-Peterson — Former Palos Verdes Estates Mayor
    * Susan Brooks — Former Mayor of Rancho Palos Verdes
  - Individuals (33):
    * Gina Alexander
    * Sandi Avoian
    * Vida Barta
    * Ron Bassilian
    * Luisa Becerra Fahey
    * Arun Bhumitra — Torrance small business owner
    * Tina Blakeman
    * Scott Carter
    * Jerry Cohen
    * C DeYoung
    * Noah Ellis — Small e-Commerce Business
    * Ben Espinoza — Resident
    * Samuel Everett
    * Gabriela Fischer — Torrance business owner, resident, and Founder of The Utopian Society Project
    * James Gillen — Torrance Refinery Fire Captain
    * Amy Irwin
    * Joseph Matthews
    * Maria Pia Mattucci
    * Peter Michel
    * Harper Munro
    * Robert Nickell — CEO
    * Jeff Oatridge
    * Patsy Okada
    * Frank Osekowsky
    * Louise Outland
    * Terry Ramsden
    * Chris Reed
    * Brenda Riordan
    * Marco Strand
    * Ray Uchima — President at Uchima Corporation
    * Thomas Walker
    * Steve Wojtak
    * Kenneth Wright
  - Public safety (2):
    * Torrance Police Officers' Association
    * Torrance Police Commanders Association

Partisan signals:
  (no partisan signals published)

Sources:
  1. Aurelio Mattucci for Torrance City Treasurer 2026 — Meet Aurelio, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteformattucci.com/meet_aurelio
  2. Aurelio Mattucci for Torrance City Treasurer 2026 — Endorsements, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteformattucci.com/view-endorsements
  3. California Republican Assembly — 2026 Primary Election Endorsements, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260605013055/https://cragop.org/2026-primary-election-endorsements/
  4. Aurelio Mattucci for Torrance City Treasurer, Issues page, accessed May 2026: https://www.voteformattucci.com/issues

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