STORY AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH KAMPITAN, DIGITAL EDITOR
Cypress City Council election updates from 8 p.m. today, Nov. 5, show District 3 candidate Kyle Chang leading with 1,068 votes and District 4 Candidate Leo Medrano leading with 981 votes.
This article was updated on Nov. 5, 11 p.m. in observance of voter updates: Chang continues to be in the lead with 1,079 votes, and Medrano continues to be in the lead with 989 votes.
There are a total of six candidates in the city’s first by-district election. Three candidates are running for District 3, and three candidates are running for District 4. No incumbents are running in this election, as two out of the five current council members will remain in office until their terms end in 2026. Only citizens residing in District 3 or 4 were allowed to cast their ballot for this election. In-person voting polls closed today at 8:00 p.m..
As shown in the Orange County Registrar of Voters, provided are the 11 p.m. Nov. 5 updates:
DISTRICT 3:
Kyle Chang: 1,079 votes
Mark H. Plager: 932 votes
Gayel Kaplan: 297 votes
DISTRICT 4:
Leo Medrano: 989 votes
Glenn Button: 824 votes
Blaze Bhence: 792 votes
As shown in the Orange County Registrar of Voters, provided are the 8 p.m. Nov. 5 updates with an overview on their priorities and values:
DISTRICT 3 Candidates:
Kyle Chang: 1,068
Chang is affiliated with the Democratic Party, and he hopes to use his experience to prioritize safe neighborhoods, family life, quality education, business diversity, and interactive development projects.
Mark H. Plager: 927
Plager is affiliated with the Republican Party, and he hopes to use his experience to prioritize public safety and the Cypress Police Department, business-friendly environments, infrastructure improvements, and education.
Gayel Kaplan: 293
Kaplan is Non-Partisan, and she hopes to use her experience to prioritize environmental needs, resolve city debts, maintain city budget, implement new housing units, and create a Cypress City Planning Committee.
DISTRICT 4 Candidates:
Leo Medrano: 981
Medrano is Non-Partisan, and he hopes to use his experience to prioritize lower taxes, encourage business-friendly environments, improve infrastructure, and increase resident participation in city affairs.
Glenn Button: 814
Button is affiliated with the Republican party; he hopes to use his experience to prioritize keeping the city fiscally sound, improve public safety, invest in recreation facilities, and increase education partnerships.
Blaze Bhence: 791
Bhence is affiliated with the Democratic party, and he hopes to use his experience to prioritize budget transparency, spending reductions, developmental business plans, public safety, and community life improvements.
For more information regarding candidate background and experience, read our “Cypress City Council Elections – Meet the Candidates” article.
For District 3, candidate Mark H. Plager is standing second in the race with 927 votes; he is behind Chang by 141 votes as of 8 p.m.. District 4 shows Glenn Button standing second in the race with 814 votes; he is behind Medrano by 167 votes as of 8 p.m.. Both Kaplan from District 3 (293 votes) and Bhence from District 4 (791 votes) are standing third in the election so far.
Check back later tonight for more election updates and results regarding this election.
