Irvine Pastor Simon Moon is running for mayor in the Nov. 8 election against incumbent Mayor Farrah Khan, Tom Chomyn, Katherine Daigle, and Branda Lin.
If elected, Moon plans to restore the “world-class” city’s quality of life that he said has experienced a “downturn” over the past several years.
“I believe, especially over the past several years, Irvine is in a decline, not on an upward path, and I want to make the changes needed to bring us back to a community we are all proud to live in,” Moon told The Epoch Times in an email.
Moon’s priorities, if elected, include relieving traffic congestion, increasing funding for public safety departments, and addressing resident concerns of health and well-being regarding the asphalt plant’s emissions in north Irvine.
He also plans to encourage the construction of retail stores at the Great Park in 2023.
“Our Great Park families are paying taxes for the Great Park without proper amenities developed for their community,” he said.
Regarding the Orange County Power Authority—a newly-formed energy provider that is facing an audit from the state and an investigation ordered by the county—Moon said its business model is not working properly as it shows a “lack of transparency and inability to provide promised lower rates to our residents.”
“I will stand with our residents and make sure to protect our tax payers’ rights from any fiscal impact,” he said.
Moon is a first-generation Korean American who has lived in Irvine for 10 years with his wife and three children.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Arizona in 2009, and in 2013, a master’s degree in Divinity and Theological Studies from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.
As Army Reserve Chaplain and pastor at the Irvine Onnuri Church since 2013, Moon spends his spare moments with his family in the beautiful City of Irvine.
“When I have a chance, I always go to the park ... and talk to my wife while I drink a cold brew coffee and enjoy the fullness of freedom,” he said.
Moon has the endorsements of several local leaders, including former Irvine Mayor and current Assemblyman Steven Choi (R-Irvine), and former Irvine Mayor Christina Shea. The Irvine chapter of the California Republican Assembly also endorses Moon.
