Mayor · June 2, 2026

The race for mayor

Kalani has 22,206 votes (51%), Chen 21,031 (49%). Los Angeles County certified these results on June 26, 2026.

Polls have closed
Last filing June 2, 20262 · Sources & footnotes ↓
George Chen
George Chen
Mayor since 2022
vs
Sharon Kalani
Sharon Kalani
On council since 2020

Vote count

Each candidate's vote count by day, as Los Angeles County counted the mail-in and provisional ballots through certification. Election-night updates are shown as a single day. These are the certified final counts, official as of June 26, 2026.

Party signals

George Chen
Incumbent
Sharon Kalani
Challenger
Voter registration

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

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

Coalition
Endorsers

36 of 55 party-tagged

Donors

244 of 355 matched

Endorsers

84 of 100 party-tagged

Donors

179 of 198 matched

Finance

How much they've raised, week by week.

This chart tracks contributions over time. Campaign loans (see the gift-size cards below) are a separate outstanding balance, not part of this series.

Where do their donors live?

Chen
43% Torrance
CityDollars% of total
Torrance $76k 44%
Rancho Palos Verdes $8k 4%
Redondo Beach $5k 3%
Manhattan Beach $5k 3%
Newport Beach $4k 2%
$75k from Torrance donors
$99k from outside Torrance
56% of maxed-out donors are non-Torrance
Kalani
73% Torrance
CityDollars% of total
Torrance $56k 73%
Los Angeles $3k 3%
Redondo Beach $2k 3%
Palos Verdes Estates $2k 3%
Santa Ynez $2k 3%
$56k from Torrance donors
$21k from outside Torrance
38% of maxed-out donors are non-Torrance

When a donor is matched to a voter record, Torrance share goes by voter registration, not mailing address. So Hollywood Riviera donors (Redondo Beach 90277) registered in Torrance now count as Torrance. Unmatched donors fall back to mailing-address city, so a few may still slip through.

Big checks, or many hands?

Chen
$491
average gift
Kalani
$387
average gift
+ $30k self-loan (last pre-election filing, May 16)

Where each candidate's money came from. Bigger segments mean more of the money came from donors at that gift size, smallest on the left.

Loans are money the campaign borrowed (here, every loan is the candidate lending their own committee), reported net of repayments as the outstanding balance on the latest filing. They are separate from donations and are not counted in the donations figure. Loan figures are the balance each campaign last reported while the race was still on, taken from the final filing before election day. Campaigns report on a filing schedule and none of those periods ends on election day itself, which is why the loan date differs from the donation window. Balances reported after the election, including loans a candidate has since repaid, are not counted here, because this section describes how the campaign was financed rather than what a committee owes today.

Who's spending in support of them? 2

Chen
$46k
+$2k in campaign donations
  • Team Torrance PAC $46k
    business-network-slate · FPPC 1490915
    Funded by (money to the PAC, not the candidate):
    • California Leadership Today ($38k)
    • Atlas PAC ($32k)
    • Lincoln Club of Orange County ($23k)
    • California Homeowners Assoc ($21k)
    • New Majority PAC ($18k)
  • Scott Baugh & Associates $1k
    gop-lobbying-firm
  • Torrance Police Officers' Association PAC $1k
    labor-public-safety · FPPC 761167
Kalani
$20k
+$2k in campaign donations
  • Torrance Firefighters PAC $21k
    labor-public-safety · FPPC 890376
    Funded by (money to the PAC, not the candidate):
    • Torrance Firefighters Association ($125k)
  • Torrance Police Officers' Association PAC $1k
    labor-public-safety · FPPC 761167
    Funded by (money to the PAC, not the candidate):
    • Gonzalez ($2k)
    • Lee ($1k)
    • Vazquez ($890)
    • Chance ($890)
    • Stiller ($890)

The figure shown for each candidate is independent-expenditure spending: money spent by outside committees, which California does not cap. It is separate from the candidate's own donations, so you can add it to their Donations total for a fuller funding picture. Any direct campaign donations from these PACs are listed too and shown in grey; those are capped at $1,000 in Torrance and are already counted in the candidate's donations. Sourced from California Form 460 / 496 / 497 filings via NetFile.

Money findings

01

Family bundling past the $1,000 cap

The cap is $1,000 per person, per election. A household of four can legally give $4,000 by writing four checks. Chen has 55 donors who share a last name with another Chen donor and listed no employer1, a pattern often associated with bundled household gifts. Kalani has 14 such donors on her filings.

02

Out-of-state donors

Chen received contributions from donors in Maryland, Nevada, New York, and Texas (2% of his donor dollars). Kalani's filings show no out-of-state donors.

03

Real estate industry donors

Chen received contributions from 16 real estate and property professionals (5% of donor dollars), including Aurelio Mattucci, a real estate broker who is also running for City Treasurer ($750). Kalani received contributions from 7 real estate and property professionals (7% of donor dollars).

Where they stand

George Chen
Incumbent
Sharon Kalani
Challenger

Civil Rights

Issues about civil rights, inclusion, and recognition: proclamations, anti-discrimination measures, community representation.

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. 9
Voted YES on the May 7, 2024 council resolution to issue a Pride Month proclamation; the proclamation passed 4-3. 22

Homelessness

Issues about how the city responds to homelessness: enforcement, shelter siting, services balance, encampment policy.

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. 5
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. 18

City Budget

Issues about the size of the general-fund budget, new program commitments, and major capital spending.

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. 1
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. 21
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. 10
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. 21
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.' 13
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. 25

Other Local Issues

Hyperlocal items that don't share an axis with the topics above.

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. 14
— 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. 26

Endorsed by

Torrance officials Chen 13 Kalani 27
Chen
  • Aurelio Mattucci, Torrance City Councilman
  • Jon Kaji, Torrance Council Member District 1
  • James Han, Torrance Unified School District Board
+ 10 more
  • Ed Candioty, Torrance Cultural Arts Commissioner
  • Ron Mataalii, Torrance Parks and Recreation Commissioner
  • Dennis Piotrowski, Torrance Library Commissioner (endorsing as citizen/resident)
  • Dylan Wakayama, Small Business Owner, Torrance Airport Commissioner
  • Mike Gibson, Torrance Traffic Commission Member
  • Mike Mauno, Former Torrance City Council Member
  • Richard Tsao, Former Torrance Planning Commissioner
  • Mark Tsuneishi, Former Torrance Traffic Commissioner, Torrance Business Owner
  • Mark Choi, Former Torrance Planning Commissioner, Torrance Resident
  • Mike Gunnar, Former Torrance City Commissioner, Retired Financial Consultant
Kalani
  • Bridgett Lewis, Councilmember; Former Civil Service Commissioner
  • Asam Sheikh, Councilmember; Former Planning Commissioner
  • Jeremy Gerson, Councilmember; Former TUSD School Board Member
+ 24 more
  • Heidi Aschcraft, Councilmember
  • Milton Herring, Councilmember
  • 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)
  • Frank Scotto, Former Torrance Mayor
  • Patrick J. Furey, Former Torrance Mayor
  • Mike Griffiths, Former Torrance Councilman; Historic Preservation Commissioner
  • 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
  • Geoff Rizzo, Former Torrance Councilman; Former Torrance Police Lieutenant
  • Linda Barnett, Former Torrance City Treasurer
  • Sue Herbers, Former Torrance City Clerk
State & county officials Chen 1 Kalani 2
Chen
  • Alex Villanueva, Former Los Angeles County Sheriff
Kalani
  • 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 Chen 0 Kalani 3
Chen
— none on file
Kalani
  • Torrance Firefighters Association
  • Torrance Police Officers' Association
  • Torrance Police Commanders Association
Labor Chen 0 Kalani 4
Chen
— none on file
Kalani
  • CSEA Chapter 845
  • UA Local 250
  • Western States Regional Council of Carpenters
+ 1 more
  • LiUNA! Laborers Local 1309
Business Chen 1 Kalani 0
Chen
  • Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles
Kalani
— none on file
Political clubs Chen 1 Kalani 0
Chen
  • California Republican Assembly
Kalani
— none on file
Advocacy Chen 0 Kalani 2
Chen
— none on file
Kalani
  • Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
  • LA Forward
City officials Chen 25 Kalani 1
Chen
  • Jawane Hilton, Carson City Councilman
  • Drew Boyles, El Segundo City Councilman
  • Arlene Rojas, Carson City Councilwoman
+ 22 more
  • Rodney Tanaka, Gardena Councilman
  • David McGowan, Palos Verdes Estates Councilman
  • William (Bill) Uphoff, Council Member for the City of Lomita
  • 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
  • Frank Zerunyan, Rolling Hills Estates Councilman
  • Brit Huff, Councilwoman of Rolling Hills Estates
  • Bernadette Suarez, City of Lawndale Council Member
  • Olivia Valentine, City of Hawthorne Councilmember
  • John Cruikshank, Former Mayor for the City of Rancho Palos Verdes
  • The Honorable Heidi Shyu, Former Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering for DoD, Former Asst Secretary of the Army
  • Betty Lin-Peterson, Former Palos Verdes Estates Mayor
  • Dave Albert, Former Mayor of Lomita
  • 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
  • Kenny Kao, Former Mayor of Palos Verdes Estates
  • Carol Kwan, Former West Basin Municipal Water District 3 Director
  • Mike Gin, Former Mayor of Redondo Beach
  • David Hadley, Former California State Assemblyman, 66th Assembly District
Kalani
  • Tim McOsker, LA Councilmember
Individuals Chen 14 Kalani 61
Chen
  • Matt Aleman, Torrance Resident & Director of Business Development
  • Paloma Elise
  • Noah Ellis, Small e-Commerce Business
+ 11 more
  • 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
  • David Henry Hwang, Tony Award-winning American playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and theater professor
  • Allen James, Former U.S. Olympic Racewalker (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996)
  • Tony and Jessica
  • Ted Jones, Rotary International
  • Jeremy Okawa, Small Business Owner
  • Ricky Pennington, Small Business Owner
  • Guy and Lili Puckett, President of ArchiveIT, Executive Director of Street Racing Kill
  • Ian Walter, Small Business Operating Partner
  • Don Wortman, Grand Master of Kukkido Martial Arts
Kalani
  • Peter Lefevre (University Administrator)
  • Gene Barnett
  • Lisa Batchelor
+ 58 more
  • Samuel Batchelor
  • James Berger, Retired History Teacher
  • Robert Calderon
  • Michelle Calhoun
  • Mitzi Calhoun
  • Lauren Capon
  • Jon Castro
  • Kathleen Chaney
  • Kathleen Chaney
  • Irma & Bob Chiota
  • Joy Coffey
  • Monica Collins-Blackey
  • Michael Cowan
  • Martha Deutsch, Former TEF President; TEF Board of Director
  • Julie Dojiri, Torrance City Commissioner
  • Michele Drake-Richardson
  • Robyn Eagles
  • Nathan Esser
  • Paco Flores
  • Merrietta Fong
  • Judith Gerber
  • David Gibson
  • Keri Gilbert
  • Cathy Gonzales
  • Jimmy Gow, Former Social Service Commissioner
  • Claire & Joel Greenwald
  • Lowell Hardison, Husband of Former Torrance Mayor Dee Hardison
  • Suzan Hubert
  • Geno Imbriale
  • Richard Johnson
  • Tom Lane
  • Theresa Mack
  • Jill Maroney
  • Norma Martínez
  • Alissa and Dan Materman, Torrance Residents
  • Arthur Molina
  • Jim Montgomery
  • Paul Moon
  • Michele Nadeau
  • Helen Nowatka
  • Nanette Pastor-Hanna
  • Janet Payne, Community Volunteer
  • Lauren Pfeifer
  • Pamela Popovich, Former Co-President, Riviera Homeowner Association
  • Ryan Rauzon
  • Raphi Rebucas, Member, Torrance Police Chief's Advisory Board (Ret.)
  • Betty Robertson
  • Kirk Rossberg, Owner, Torrance Bakery
  • Amber Rosson
  • Thomas Saulenas
  • Adam Schwartz, Torrance Historic Preservation Commissioner
  • Katherine Serna
  • Nina Shaw
  • Marla Shwarts, Former Chair of Civil Service Commission
  • Laura Stratton
  • Gayle Taylor
  • Jimmy Titiriga
  • Isabella Torres

About

George Chen
Incumbent
Sharon Kalani
Challenger
Elected service

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. 2

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. 15

Torrance roots

A Torrance resident since 1992, Chen is married with two adult children. 1

A Torrance resident since 1981, Kalani is married with two adult children. 15

Career

Chen retired in 2017 as a senior program manager after a 33-year career at Hughes Aircraft and Raytheon. 1

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. 16

Education

Earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UCLA. 3

— none on file
Civic affiliation

He is a member of the Torrance Kiwanis. 3

She is a past chairperson and current board member of the Torrance South Bay YMCA. 16

Sources & footnotes

↓ Download Chen donor data (CSV)↓ Download Kalani donor data (CSV) View raw filings on NetFile →

Sources cited on this page

  1. Vote 4 George Chen — about, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy
Read more (13)
  1. Vote 4 George Chen — qualifications, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy
  2. Vote 4 George Chen — about (council bio), accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy
  3. Friends of Madrona Marsh, Mayoral candidate Q&A, May 1, 2026
  4. City of Torrance press release on Project HomeKey+, May 23, 2025
  5. Davis Vanguard, "Torrance Plans Military-Style Camps and Arrest Policy to Tackle Homelessness," September 15, 2025
  6. General Aviation News, "Touch and goes banned at KTOA," February 5, 2024
  7. League of Women Voters Torrance Area, mayoral and treasurer candidate forum, April 23, 2026
  8. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14215, May 7, 2024 (Pride Month proclamation)
  9. Torrance City Council, Granicus video, January 14, 2025 (El Camino Village ad-hoc committee)
  10. Vote 4 George Chen — Values & Priorities, accessed May 2026, Internet Archive copy
  11. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density)
  12. Daily Breeze, "A month into his term, Torrance's new mayor discusses life, city priorities" (Clara Harter), August 8, 2022
  13. 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
  1. Sharon Kalani for Mayor — campaign website, accessed May 2026
Read more (11)
  1. Sharon Kalani, Councilmember | City of Torrance, accessed May 2026
  2. Friends of Madrona Marsh, Mayoral candidate Q&A, May 1, 2026
  3. City of Torrance press release on Project HomeKey+, May 23, 2025
  4. Davis Vanguard, "Torrance Plans Military-Style Camps and Arrest Policy to Tackle Homelessness," September 15, 2025
  5. General Aviation News, "Touch and goes banned at KTOA," February 5, 2024
  6. League of Women Voters Torrance Area, mayoral and treasurer candidate forum, April 23, 2026
  7. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14215, May 7, 2024 (Pride Month proclamation)
  8. Sharon Kalani for Mayor — Issues, accessed May 2026
  9. Torrance City Council, Granicus video clip 14530, September 23, 2025 (Ord. 3955 Target Density)
  10. Daily Breeze, "Torrance Measure TC Would Reform City Charter, Increase Council Pay," October 26, 2024, original page offline as of August 2026
  11. 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

Footnotes

1 "Their family" identifies donors who (a) filed a job title of unemployed, housewife, or homemaker and (b) share a last name with at least one other donor to the same candidate. Shared last names do not prove a family relationship -- common surnames may produce false matches. This grouping surfaces a pattern, not an assertion of specific relationships.

Read more (3)

2 All data from $100+ contributions filed with the City of Torrance through June 2, 2026 via Torrance NetFile. Contributions under $100 are not required to be itemized and are not included.

3 City of Torrance Charter and Torrance Municipal Code, summarized at About Your City Government and City Council and Elected Officials.

4 Outside-money figures aggregated from public campaign-finance filings, Form 496 independent-expenditure line items, Form 497 late contributions, and Form 460 Schedule A direct contributions. Each named organization is filed under its FPPC filer ID (shown next to its name) and can be looked up directly in the source systems below. Data through July 25, 2026. Verify: Torrance NetFile (Team Torrance PAC and Torrance candidate committees) at netfile.com/public/TOR/campaign; Irvine NetFile (California Leadership Today FPPC 1477310 and Lincoln Club state-PAC Irvine-cycle filings) at netfile.com/public/COI/campaign; California Secretary of State PowerSearch (Atlas PAC FPPC 1279586 and other state-registered committees) at powersearch.sos.ca.gov/advanced.php; and Cal-Access committee detail pages (committee history, including any prior or renamed committee names under the same filer ID) at cal-access.sos.ca.gov/Campaign/Committees/.