Only one candidate applied to run for each of the two council seats for the 2024 City Council election: Ben Wong (in District Two) and Patty Senecal (in District Four).
However, council won’t cancel the election because there will be a city sales tax measure on the November ballot.
The Seal Beach nomination period closed at 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 9.
District Two Council Member Tom Moore and District Four Council Member/Mayor Schelly Sustarsic have both termed out.
City Clerk update
During the Aug. 12 council meeting, City Clerk Gloria Harper said the council called the election on June 10. The nomination period opened July 15 and ended last week.
“Typically, the council would have the option of canceling the election and appointing each candidate to council office under the Election Code,” Harper said.
“However, in this case that is not an option because the city has a ballot measure that qualified for submission to voters for the same election, and that is the sales tax measure,” Harper said.
Harper said the sales tax ballot measure actually got its designation on Monday, Aug. 12.
She said the qualified candidates would be able to cast their votes for the candidates.
District Two
Ben Wong, of College Park West, a business man currently serving as the District Two Planning Commission member, is running to succeed Moore. According to Candidate Filing Information, available on the city website, Wong filed his candidate papers with the City Clerk’s Office on July 30.
Wong submitted his candidate statement to the Orange County Registrar of Voters on Aug. 1. The Registrar of Voters approved the candidate statement on Aug. 2. The signatures on the nomination papers were verified by the Registrar’s Office on Aug. 1. District Two includes College Park West and part of Leisure World.
His public contact information is (714) 459-2498 or sealbeachben@gmail.com.
District Four
Patty Senecal, a businesswoman, filed her candidate papers with the City Clerk’s office on Aug. 1. Senecal submitted her candidate statement to the Registrar of Voters on Aug. 1. The statement was approved on the same date. The signatures on the nomination papers were verified on Aug. 1. Her contact information is (310) 773-1913 or senecalsealcitycouncil@myyahoo.com.
District Four includes College Park East and the Town Center.
