OC Political

Jan Flory (D-Fullerton) sworn in to fill the Fullerton Council vacancy

On a 3-1 vote, 74-year-old former Councilwoman Jan Flory (D) was appointed to fill the Fullerton City Council vacancy that resulted when at-large Councilman Jesus Silva (D) won the District 3 Council seat, defeating at-large Councilman Greg Sebourn (R).  The at-large seat will cease to exist after the 2020 general election.

Flory is a resident of Fullerton’s Council District 2, which will elect a Councilmember for the first time in 2020.  However, in applying for the vacancy, Flory declared that she has “no intention of running for city council in 2020.”

First elected during the 1994 Fullerton Council recall, Flory served on the Council from 1994-2002 and again from 2012-2016.

Flory was appointed with the votes of Mayor Jesus Silva (D), Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Fitzgerald (R), and Councilman Ahmad Zahra (D).  Councilman Bruce Whitaker (R) dissented.

With Flory’s appointment, the Fullerton City Council now has 3 Democrats (Silva, Flory, and Zahra) and 2 Republicans (Fitzgerald and Whitaker).

Flory was selected from among 26 applicants, including former Councilmen Greg Sebourn (R) and Leland Wilson (R).  The full list of applicants consisted of 11 Republicans, 10 Democrats, and 5 No Party Preference applicants:

• Ryan Alcantara (D), former Chair of the Citizens’ Infrastructure Review Committee
• Larry Bennett (R), former Planning Commissioner
• Ryan Cantor (R), Library Board Trustee
• Sonia Carvalho (D), contract City Attorney of Santa Ana and former contract City Attorney of Yorba Linda
• Shana Charles (D)
• Arnel Dino (D), former Economic Development Commissioner
• Joshua Ferguson (D), former Economic Development Commissioner
• Jan Flory (D), former Councilmember
• Robert Freeman (R)
• Kenneth Fuller (D)
• Scott Funk (NPP)
• Chris Gaarder (R), Chair of the Planning Commission
• Curtis Gamble (D)
• Fred Jung (R), former Parks and Recreation Commissioner
• Roger Kim (NPP)
• Larry Lloyd (NPP)
• Michael Pascual (D)
• Kevin Pendergraft (R), Planning Commissioner
• Damion Planchon (NPP)
• Roberta Reid (NPP), perennial candidate for Council
• Rudy Salazar (R)
• Robert Schoonmaker (R)
• Greg Sebourn (R), former Councilmember
• Omar Siddiqui (D), Fullerton Police Chief’s Advisory Board Member and failed candidate for the 48th Congressional District (coastal OC seat, won by Harley Rouda)
• Michael Ward (R), California Citizens Redistricting Commissioner
• Leland Wilson (R), former Councilmember