TONY STRICKLAND, former Huntington Beach mayorr (OC Tribune mayor).

Tony Strickland, a member of the Huntington Beach City Council and former state legislator, has announced his candidacy for the 36th State Senate seat now held by Janet Nguyen.

She is the winner of the First District seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors and will be stepping down from her Senate post.
A special election will be held in the spring of 2025 to fill that Sacramento seat.

Strickland, a Republican, has served previously in the California State Assembly representing the 37th District from 1998 to 2004 and later in the State Senate’s 19th District seat from 2008 to 2012.

Elected to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2022, he served as mayor from 2022 to 2023 and was succeeded by Gracey Van Der Mark.
If elected to the state senate seat, his position on the city council will be filled by vote of the remaining members of the council.

The 36th District includes most of Orange County’s coastal area including Huntington Beach, as well as Garden Grove, Stanton and Westminster and portions of Los Angeles County.

Political party registration is 36.48 percent Republican, 33.74 percent Democratic and 24.05 percent no party preference.