Copyright Los Angeles Times
Costa Mesa resident and UCLA political science major Jose Toscano plans to transcend ordinary civics and governance lessons by throwing his hat in the ring for his city’s top post, the office of mayor, in 2026. The seat will be vacated at the end of next year when Mayor John Stephens terms out, to be filled by an at-large election. Three other seats, in Council Districts 3, 4 and 5, will also be up for grabs next November. The 20-year-old would be the youngest council candidate in the city’s history, a title currently held by Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez, sworn into office in 2018 at age 23. Toscano, who lives in Council District 3, said Tuesday he hopes Costa Mesa voters will look past his age when making their pick for the next elected mayor. “When people hear someone my age is running for office, it may scare them a bit,” he said. “But if they look into my politics and look into what I stand for and my background, they’ll see what I may lack in terms of resume experience, I make up for in life experience.” Toscano attended Adams Elementary and Costa Mesa Middle and High schools, graduating in 2023. It was during high school, as a member of the campus paper, the Hitching Post, that he began to develop an interest in local politics. Over the course of conducting interviews with local and regional dignitaries, Toscano began to see governance was more nuanced than nationwide presidential contests. “I started realizing local politics is actually the most fundamental function of government,” he said. He took that interest with him to Orange Coast College, engaging in coursework that allowed him to enroll this fall as a junior at UCLA on a poli-sci track. During the 2024 election cycle, Toscano volunteered for the campaigns of local conservative council candidates Mike Buley and Jeff Pettis. He said he became disenchanted by the Costa Mesa City Council and what he viewed as excessive levels of bureaucracy that impeded sensible development and the growth plans of local businesses. “There’s a lot of bureaucracy when it comes to the city,” Toscano said. “To get a permit approved takes a long time. Costa Mesa has the longest wait times, and this council majority has pretty much contributed to that burden.” When a seat on the Fairview Park Steering Committee came up in April, he applied and was appointed by Pettis. The committee has been updating a master plan for the 108-acre site, an eye-opening experience for Toscano, who wants to see the area’s resources preserved but opposes an effort by environmentalists to relocate or remove the hobbyist Harbor Soaring Society from the park. Once on the campaign trail, Toscano plans to focus on a few key platforms, including housing. He disagrees with the council’s attempts to ensure affordability through an inclusionary housing ordinance, believing fewer hurdles for developers would increase inventory and lead to lower prices. He’d also like to see the city make progress on a council ethics policy, in light of accusations made by former City Manager Lori Ann Farrell Harrison against Stephens in a lawsuit filed after her firing in May.
