HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — The political landscape in Huntington Beach has grown increasingly turbulent as the city approaches its November municipal elections. Once a solid conservative bastion, the coastal city’s seven-member City Council, entirely controlled by a MAGA-aligned Republican bloc since 2022, now faces growing opposition both internally and from a rising Democratic slate.

Republican Councilman Pat Burns, a retired police officer and outspoken MAGA supporter, has been a prominent figure in the council’s pushback against what it views as progressive policies imposed by California’s Democratic leadership. Since gaining control, the council has pursued a “Make Huntington Beach Great Again” agenda, which has included efforts such as declaring the city a nonsanctuary zone for undocumented immigrants, restricting certain library books deemed explicit, and challenging state housing mandates. Burns famously brought a white bust of former President Donald Trump to council meetings and the group even adopted red caps emblazoned with the “MHBGA” slogan.

However, the council’s actions have frequently met resistance. Voters overwhelmingly overturned the controversial library book restrictions in a 2025 referendum after backlash targeted their application to educational materials, including the children’s book “Everyone Poops.” The council has also faced legal setbacks over its approach to housing requirements and voter ID regulations.

Internal divisions among the Republicans have surfaced in recent months. In December, a dispute arose when Councilman Chad Williams was passed over for the role of mayor pro tem despite receiving the most votes in the last election, with the council instead selecting Butch Twining, citing his business background. The rift generated public tension, although both later downplayed the conflict. More recently, Williams and fellow Republican Andrew Gruel voiced concerns about Mayor Casey McKeon’s handling of a no-bid $720,000 contract for a city branding consultant, which was ultimately shelved amid questions about potential conflicts of interest.

The November ballot features four council seats, including Burns’s, and marks a key contest between Republicans—who identify as the “Fab 4” slate—and a Democratic group calling themselves the “Surf City Four.” The Democrats have leveraged local discontent over the council’s conservative agenda, notably recruiting a former librarian who resigned in protest of the book bans and Brenda Glim, whose campaign materials portray the Republicans as confrontational. Former NFL punter and local resident Chris Kluwe, a vocal critic of the council’s MAGA affiliation who was arrested last year during a protest at a council meeting, is also running for state assembly in the district against outgoing Republican council member Gracey Van Der Mark.

Taryn Palumbo, one of the “Surf City Four” candidates, said her group feels momentum heading into the election. “We sort of have the wind at our back,” she said. Several incumbents admitted some concern about their chances. Gruel, a celebrity chef appointed to the council last year, acknowledged the challenges of defending the current majority.

Supporters of the conservative council, such as local businessman and Vietnam veteran Don Ramsey, credit them with addressing crime and promoting traditional values. “I think the best way to run this town is on the right side of the political spectrum,” Ramsey said.

Despite political frictions, Mayor McKeon sought to downplay divisions among council members, noting they remain friends and share consensus on major issues while acknowledging some disagreement on smaller matters. As Huntington Beach heads into a critical election, the city’s identity as a conservative stronghold faces a potential shift amid evolving local dynamics and contested visions for its future.