Huntington Beach police union spends over $100,000 in council race

Huntington Beach’s police union reported spending more than $100,000 on city council races as of Tuesday, including advertising against Mayor Casey McKeon and Councilman Pat Burns, according to Voice of OC. Both incumbents voted against a nearly 18% increase in officer pay over three years.

Eleven candidates are competing for four council seats in the Nov. 3 election, with the police union ranking as the race’s largest independent spender, Voice of OC reported. Its advertising supports candidates across the county parties’ endorsed lineups.

The union disclosed $16,000 in advertising against McKeon and another $16,000 against Burns, according to Voice of OC. It spent more than $17,000 advertising Councilman Andrew Gruel, who supported the pay increase, and gave his campaign accounts an additional $5,900 directly.

The union also endorsed Brian Burley and spent $17,000 advertising his candidacy. Another $31,000 went toward advertising Taryn Palumbo and Erin Spivey combined. Most union spending took the form of independent advertising through its political action committee, the publication reported.

The county Democratic Party endorsed Palumbo, Spivey, Brenda Glim and Ben Davis as the Surf City Four slate. The county Republican Party backed the Team HB candidates — McKeon, Burns and Brian Thienes — along with Gruel, whose campaign is largely parallel to theirs. Gruel is campaigning for office for the first time after his appointment to the council in 2025.

Another outside spender, the Manufactured Housing Educational Trust Political Action Committee, put $15,000 combined into advertising McKeon, Gruel, Burns and Thienes, according to Voice of OC. Mobile home park owners provide most of that committee’s funding.

Candidate fundraising disclosures largely reflected totals as of Sept. 19. Thienes put $250,000 of his own money into his council bid and reported about $45,000 in donations. Spivey raised more than $92,000 this year, apart from $10,000 she contributed herself, while Gruel disclosed just under $70,000 in fundraising, Voice of OC reported.

Burley’s council finances remain distinct from his simultaneous congressional campaign. He has not disclosed fundraising through his city council committee, Voice of OC reported; the $186,000 personal investment shown in federal disclosures belongs to his congressional bid, not the council race.