Matthew Harper (June 27, 1974) served as the 59th Mayor of Huntington Beach, California (2013-2014). Harper was elected to three terms to the Huntington Beach Union High School District Board of Trustees (1998-2010), one term to the Huntington Beach City Council (2010-2014) and two terms to the California State Assembly (2014-2018).[1]
Matthew Harper | |
|---|---|
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| 59th Mayor of Huntington Beach, California | |
| In office 2013–2014 | |
| Preceded by | Donald F. Hansen |
| Succeeded by | Jill Hardy |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 74th district | |
| In office December 1, 2014 – November 30, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Allan Mansoor |
| Succeeded by | Cottie Petrie-Norris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 27, 1974 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Byrne (m. 2014) |
| Residence | Huntington Beach, California |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Real estate broker, politician |
Early life
editHarper was born in Long Beach, California, and lived briefly in Colorado, but grew up in Westminster and Huntington Beach.[2] He is a graduate of Huntington Beach High School.
Education
editHarper attended Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. Harper earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Policy and Management from USC in Los Angeles, California.[3]
Career
editHarper was first elected to the Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) in 1998,[4] re-elected with the most votes in 2002,[5] and named to an uncontested third term in 2006. There are five governing board members, or trustees, that are each elected at-large by HBUHSD voters. The HBUHSD serves the secondary education needs of the Orange County communities of Huntington Beach, most of Westminster, most of Fountain Valley, a portion of Garden Grove and all of unincorporated Midway City. Four separate feeder elementary school districts serve the primary education needs of the territory served by the HBUHSD. High schools in the district include: Huntington Beach High School, Westminster High School, Marina High School, Fountain Valley High School, Edison High School, Ocean View High School, Valley Vista High School, Coast High School, Community Day School, and Huntington Beach Adult School.
After completing his third term on the HBUHSD Board of Trustees, on November 2, 2010, Harper was elected to become a member of city council for Huntington Beach, California.[6] Harper's campaign platform included public safety, infrastructure, economic development, administrative and fiscal accountability, property rights, personal freedom and opposition to higher taxes.[7] In 2012, Harper was chosen by the mayors of the Second District to the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) Board of Directors.[8]
In 2013, Harper became the 59th Mayor of Huntington Beach, California, until 2014.[3][9]
As Mayor, Harper worked to complete the Vans Skate Park,[10] broke ground on a new senior center,[11] and sought to repeal several laws, including the 1987 ban on state-approved fireworks. In his four years on the Huntington Beach City Council, Harper "built a reputation as conservative, pro-business and unafraid.[12]"
Matthew Harper subsequently served as member of the California State Assembly for District 74, encompassing the coastal Orange County communities of Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Irvine, Laguna Woods, and Laguna Beach for two terms.
From 2007–2011, Harper served as a policy advisor and deputy chief of staff to then-Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen. In 2011, Harper served as an appointee to the five-member Orange County Redistricting Committee.[13]
For two years, Harper was the elected Chairman for the Young Republican Federation of California (YRFC) and served on their state board for over ten years. Locally, Harper has been elected to several terms to the Orange County Republican Party Central Committee.[14] Harper has served on the executive committee for the OCGOP. Statewide, Harper served as the elected Associate Representative to the California Republican Party. As Associate Representative, Harper was an ex-officio member of the state platform committee. In 2014, he was elected to the California State Assembly, defeating Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry, a fellow Republican. He served two terms and was defeated in the 2018 General election by Democrat Cottie Petrie-Norris.
Matthew Harper continues as a delegate to the California Republican Party.[15]
In 2020, Harper was a candidate for Huntington Beach city council and lost, placing 7th out of 15 candidates.[16]
In 2022, Harper was a candidate for the California Board of Equalization and lost, placing 4th out of 7 candidates.[17]
Election history
edit2014 California State Assembly
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Keith Curry | 17,013 | 27.6 | |
| Republican | Matthew Harper | 15,309 | 24.9 | |
| Democratic | Anila Ali | 11,978 | 19.5 | |
| Democratic | Karina Onofre | 9,310 | 15.1 | |
| Republican | Emanuel Patrascu | 7,933 | 12.9 | |
| Total votes | 61,543 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Matthew Harper | 60,070 | 59.5 | |
| Republican | Keith Curry | 40,896 | 40.5 | |
| Total votes | 100,966 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2016 California State Assembly
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Karina Onofre | 46,077 | 42.4 | |
| Republican | Matthew Harper (incumbent) | 42,317 | 38.9 | |
| Republican | Katherine Daigle | 20,258 | 18.6 | |
| Total votes | 108,652 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Matthew Harper (incumbent) | 114,477 | 56.2 | |
| Democratic | Karina Onofre | 89,362 | 43.8 | |
| Total votes | 203,839 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
2018 California State Assembly
edit| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Matthew Harper (incumbent) | 46,500 | 41.6 | |
| Democratic | Cottie Petrie-Norris | 31,626 | 28.3 | |
| Democratic | Karina Onofre | 13,536 | 12.1 | |
| Republican | Katherine Daigle | 12,331 | 11.0 | |
| Democratic | Ryan Ta | 7,827 | 7.0 | |
| Total votes | 111,820 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Cottie Petrie-Norris | 105,699 | 52.7 | |
| Republican | Matthew Harper (incumbent) | 94,947 | 47.3 | |
| Total votes | 200,646 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
Personal life
editIn 2014, Harper married Elizabeth Byrne. Harper and his family live in Huntington Beach, California.[3][9]
References
edit- ^ "Mayor Matthew Harper Biography, City of Huntington Beach Official Website". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Carpio, Anthony Clark (December 12, 2013). "New mayor known for strong stands". Huntington Beach Independent. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Matthew Harper's Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "Smartvoter Information for Matthew Harper, Candidate for Huntington Beach Union High School District 1998". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "Smartvoter Information for Matthew Harper, Candidate for Huntington Beach Union High School District 2002". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ Miller, Michael (September 1, 2010). "First-time candidate favors economic development: Twelve-year trustee with school district calls Beach and Edingers Corridors Specific Plan a key area of revitalization". Huntington Beach Independent. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "Smartvoter Information for Matthew Harper, Candidate for Huntington Beach City Council 2010". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "OCTA Director Matthew Harper Biography, Orange County Transportation Authority Official Website". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ a b "Matthew Harper, Republican". joincalifornia.com. Retrieved June 17, 2020.
- ^ "Huntington Beach, CA skatepark opening".
- ^ "Huntington breaks ground on long-awaited new senior center".
- ^ "New mayor known for strong stands". December 11, 2013.
- ^ "Orange County Redistricting Committee". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "Orange County Republican Party". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "Smartvoter Information for Matthew Harper, Candidate for Republican Party of Orange County Central Committee". Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "2020 Statement of votes" (PDF).
- ^ "California June 7, 2022 Primary Statement of Vote" (PDF). Retrieved July 16, 2022.