‘HB3’ likely win spots on Huntington Beach City Council, forming an all-conservative dais

Don Kennedy got three hours of sleep Tuesday night.

That’s if he’s being optimistic.

The Huntington Beach City Council candidate stayed up until 1:30 a.m. watching national election results. Then, he and fellow candidate Butch Twining got up at 4 a.m. to start the arduous process of taking down campaign signs in windy conditions.

“It’s a lot more fun to pull signs down than it is to put them up,” Kennedy said Wednesday.

Especially after you’ve won.

The all-conservative trio of Chad Williams, Twining and Kennedy, who dubbed themselves the “HB3” and held a watch party in Huntington Harbour, appeared to be headed to victory by the time the night was over.

Candidates Butch Twining, Chad Williams and Don Kennedy ran as the “HB3” in Huntington Beach.

(Courtesy of Butch Twining)

They would have unseated the three minority members of the council, incumbents Dan Kalmick, Natalie Moser and Rhonda Bolton.

Williams, Twining and Kennedy would form an all-conservative City Council in the city, along with Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark, Mayor Pro Tem Pat Burns, Tony Strickland and Casey McKeon.

In the latest results released Wednesday at 5 p.m. by the Orange County Registrar of Voters, Williams had 41,638 votes, followed by Twining with 35,182 votes and Kennedy with 34,769 votes.

Moser (30,519 votes), Kalmick (29,654) and Bolton (28,227) lagged behind in fourth through sixth place, followed by Marissa Jackson with 7,823 votes and Amory Hanson with 3,213 votes.

A conservative endorsed by the council majority has also been elected in as the new city clerk. Lisa Lane Barnes led Regina Blankenhorn in the most recent update, 41,862 votes to 29,486.

Barnes will replace retiring Robin Estanislau, who had held the position since 2016.

Alisa Backstrom, who ran unopposed, was reelected as city treasurer.

Voters head into Huntington Beach City Hall on Election Day on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Measure U, which requires voter approval before city-initiated zoning changes with a “significant and unavoidable” environmental impact could be implemented, also appeared headed to victory, with 43,601 voters favoring the measure and 32,344 voting no.

Kennedy said hard work led the newly elected conservatives to their spots on the dais, as they did 129 meet-and-greet events by an unofficial count.

“We joked around with [the sitting conservative majority] because they all supported our candidacy,” Kennedy said. “They said they did 108, so we said we’re going to do 109. We’re going to out-work you.”

Twining and Kennedy, who are both on the Planning Commission, have been residents of the city for at least 60 years. Williams, a former U.S. Navy SEAL and current keynote speaker and youth pastor, is also a lifelong resident of Huntington Beach.

Kennedy and Twining both said Wednesday they will vote the way they feel is best, no matter what the makeup of the council is.

Lisa Lane Barnes, left, pictured with Butch Twining at a candidates forum, will take office as Huntington Beach’s new city clerk.

(Eric Licas)

“I’m trying to preserve what I call the best city in the country, the Huntington Beach I grew up in, which is a suburban culture full of friendly people,” Kennedy said. “I want to keep it laid back, great climate, good beach life and a great community.”

Twining said none of the “HB3” are politicians, but they realized that beating three incumbents was a tall order.

“Politics is partially a game of name recognition,” he said. “Bolton, Kalmick and Moser all have good name recognition, so we had to introduce ourselves to a heck of a lot of people, and that’s how we did it. I feel like we outworked them.

“The difference between them and us is that I think our message just resonated more.”

The city has seen division over the last two years on issues like suing the state over housing mandates and screening of children’s library books. A 4-3 vote on the council dais has been extremely common.

Voters cast their ballots hours before election deadline at Huntington Beach City Hall on Tuesday.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

Moser, who was elected in 2020 along with Kalmick, said she was concerned about the new council makeup.

“As a lifelong resident raising a family here, it is concerning to see a council so unified in perspective, with limited diversity of thought or representation,” she said in a statement via text message. “A thriving democracy depends on a robust exchange of ideas, where consensus and coalition building ensure that decisions reflect the needs of all residents. While I may have concerns about the direction of this incoming council, I hold a strong hope for our city’s success. Huntington Beach deserves leadership that is committed to openness, inclusivity and true representation.”

Kalmick said he felt like he, Moser and Bolton ran great campaigns with a lot of volunteer support.

“I’m fascinated to see what a 7-0 majority vote looks like,” he said. “We’ll see. I think divided government makes better government … I’m disappointed in Huntington Beach, and I’m worried for its future.”

“We’re not conceding,” Kalmick said Wednesday night, adding that there was up to 30,000 votes yet to be counted and that he believed there was a path to victory.

Neighboring Newport Beach also has had an all-conservative council.

“They don’t have an elected city attorney, and they also are better stewards of their money than the current majority is [in Huntington Beach],” Kalmick said. “They passed their housing element.”