Irvine Rejects Dirty Politics: My Statement Regarding Outcome of Irvine City Council Special Election

For Immediate Release

April 16, 2025

I have deliberately refrained from commenting on the Irvine City Council District 5 special election, allowing the process to unfold without interference from me or those who have supported our candidacy. Unfortunately, the result was marked by record low voter turnout. It is deeply troubling that a council seat in one of California's most influential cities, with a prominent global profile, could be decided by fewer than 4,000 votes, electing a candidate who emerged from obscurity and demonstrated minimal knowledge or substance on key issues. Clearly, voters in District 5 were motivated not by enthusiasm for their chosen candidate but by a decisive rejection of what they did not want.

Anthony Kuo's humiliating defeat in Irvine's District 5 special election isn't merely a political loss—it represents a complete and spectacular implosion, a profound rejection of the disgraceful tactics he and his allies employed to manipulate the election outcome. Despite District 5 being shamelessly engineered specifically for Kuo through Larry Agran’s blatant gerrymandering, Kuo’s severely flawed candidacy failed spectacularly against a virtually unknown opponent. This embarrassing defeat marks a new low, underscoring voters' definitive repudiation of Anthony Kuo and Larry Agran's unethical and manipulative brand of politics.

His loss is especially humiliating given the unprecedented level of dirty political maneuvering and massive special-interest spending—over $400,000 dumped into a desperate attempt to prop up his floundering candidacy. Kuo’s defeat epitomizes the absolute rejection of dirty politics by Irvine voters.

This result isn't simply an electoral setback; it’s the final nail in the coffin of a career built on entitlement, political arrogance, and a reliance on playing dirty politics rather than genuine leadership or meaningful community connection.

Anthony Kuo's political career is finished—not because of circumstances or chance—but because voters finally saw through the charade. His inability to win even when the deck was stacked entirely in his favor underscores just how fundamentally flawed he is as a candidate. 

This isn't merely a defeat; it's a well-deserved public humiliation for a candidate who believed dirty tricks could compensate for a lack of character, authenticity, and integrity.

Karma's a bitch

Larry Agran wrote Anthony Kuo's candidate statement!

Larry Agran, Irvine, Irvine City Council, Special Election, Anthony Kuo