Huntington Beach has erupted after a judge ordered the city to adopt ranked-choice voting for council members — amid fears it could destroy the Republican supermajority.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Craig Griffin ruled late June that the MAGA enclave needs to move away from its at-large system after a years-long court battle.
A wave of Southern California municipalities have been forced to change the way they vote in recent years as courts found at-large is unfavorable to minority voters under the California Voting Rights.
The push is being led by Malibu’s activist Democratic lawyer Kevin Shenkman, who has spent decades suing and threatening cities across the region to stop at-large voting.
It comes as Huntington Beach led the West Coast for its show of patriotism on Fourth of July, with an insane fireworks extravaganza that drew about 500,000 to its famous shores.
But the patriotic paradise could be under threat as locals claimed to the California Post the voting change is a desperate Democrat attempt to turn the town blue.
Cindy Guinasso, a 56-year-old married mother-of-two who has lived in Huntington Beach for decades, said: “I’m not a fan.
“I haven’t seen it be extremely successful in other states. I’ve heard that more states are trying to get rid of it because it has not been beneficial.”
She argued the voting system means residents will “not have a fair voice” and warned the city would “lose its individuality.”
She also criticized Griffin’s decision, saying Huntington Beach residents — not a judge — should decide how the city elects its leaders.
She added: “There are people trying to move us to be more like the rest of California.”
The shift to ranked-choice would mean voters list candidates in order of preference, with the lowest numbers knocked out each round until one person remains.
In at-large elections voters vote as a collective, with the entire city choosing from the same pool of candidates with the vote not being split on party lines.
Republicans tend to favor at-large systems while Democrats mainly prefer ranked-choice because it can make it easier for minorities to get their candidates in even if they receive fewer votes.
Griffin’s order stems from a yearslong lawsuit filed by Huntington Beach resident Victor Valladares — backed by lawyer Shenkman — under the California Voting Rights Act.
The judge rejected district-based elections, concluding that ranked-choice voting better preserves the city’s charter requirement that every voter elect every council member.
If Orange County election officials can implement the new system in time, it could be used as soon as this November.
If not, the transition would likely occur in 2028, with council members elected this fall serving shortened two-year terms to align future elections.
Guinasso believes the city’s conservative leadership has made it a target. She said: “We’re trying to spend money more wisely. We’re trying to be more fair and not be a one-party state.
“They’re trying to push us into this one-party state and the rank-choice voting helps them do that. We’re a local community that needs to be run by locals — not big government.”
Guinasso reserved some of her sharpest criticism for Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento.
She continued: “They’ve been coming after Huntington Beach for years because we do not follow his rules.
“The overall leadership of California is terrible. Government should be made up of the community you live in — not Sacramento telling Huntington Beach how to run their city or how to vote in their city council.”
Political consultant Jason Beck, 48, echoed her frustrations, describing the court order as an attempt to weaken the city’s all-Republican council.
He said: “This is a total play for them to try to install Democrats into the magnificent seven framework that we currently have here in Huntington Beach, our full conservative city council.”
He claimed Sacramento’s goal is to “marginalize and minimalize all of the things that Huntington Beach is doing for its community, for its citizens” and “rip apart the heart of Huntington Beach, and why everyone wants to be here.”
Longtime resident Charles Ullmann, 76, also denounced the ruling, describing Huntington Beach as “a very tight community.”
He argued ranked-choice voting was designed to increase Democratic political power and called the effort to impose the system “corruption.”
He said: “They know what they’re doing in Sacramento. What really upsets me is that it’s kind of like a socialist party up there. When a politician raises gas taxes we can’t fire them. They want to do all this stuff behind our backs.”
According to Ullmann, conservative views dominate his neighborhood. He continued: “Our whole block is conservative except for one family, okay, and we have to agree to disagree.”
State Sen. Tony Strickland, a Republican and former Huntington Beach mayor, called the ruling “crazy” and “extremely liberal,” warning it is both unworkable and politically charged.
He told The Post: “It’s a crazy, extremely liberal ruling. The folks just don’t want democracy. Only one city in Orange County uses this kind of election process, and the state—we don’t have a viable voting system to adhere to.”
Former Mayor and current councilwoman Gracy Larrea-Van Der Mark added: “We don’t have a problem — they’re creating a problem.
“Our charter already provides for a fair and equitable system, and I don’t believe any other system would provide any better representation for our residents.”
The liberal Bay Area serves as the main center of ranked-choice voting, including San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, and Albany.
In Southern California, Redondo Beach has also implemented it for city races, while other areas, such as Eureka, have approved it but delayed implementation due to logistical and certification issues.
In reference to Huntington Beach, Shenkman said: “We are pleased with Judge Griffin’s thoughtful and detailed decision, rejecting all of the City’s attempts to skirt the California Voting Rights Act.”
He added: “Specific to the remedy chosen by the Court, unstaggering the elections (so all 7 seats are up simultaneously) will make ranked choice voting more effective and allow Latino voters to elect their preferred candidate—giving them the voice in their local government they’ve been denied for decades.
“Also important, it will allow Huntington Beach residents more generally to bring sanity back to their city council that has been dominated in recent years by insane bigotry.”
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Home delivery: Sign up here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!
Griffin acknowledged in his ruling implementing ranked-choice voting would create disruption, including potentially cutting some council members’ four-year terms in half if the new system is adopted this year.
“Consolidating the election will mean that three or four city council members will have their four-year terms cut in half,” the judge wrote. “But this is a one-time event and will not affect council members in future elections.”
The order also raises logistical hurdles. Orange County Registrar Bob Page said the county’s certified voting system cannot currently conduct ranked-choice elections because the required software has not yet received state approval.
The city has until two weeks after the court’s June 25 ruling to respond, and the city attorney’s office declined to respond until a final order is issued from the court.
