{"id":412271,"date":"2026-07-25T20:32:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-25T20:32:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/412271\/"},"modified":"2026-07-25T20:32:17","modified_gmt":"2026-07-25T20:32:17","slug":"huntington-beach-has-its-turn-in-the-sun-california-as-it-used-to-be","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/412271\/","title":{"rendered":"Huntington Beach has its turn in the sun \u2014 California as it used to be"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been a tough few years for Huntington Beach, politically speaking.<\/p>\n

The beach town \u2014 Surf City, USA<\/a> \u2014 is one of the few conservative bastions left in California, and one of the only such towns on the coast.<\/p>\n

That’s exactly why Gov. Gavin Newsom, Xavier Becerra (Newsom’s potential Democratic successor<\/a> in Sacramento) and the rest of the Democratic Party are constantly trying to attack and undermine it.<\/p>\n

Even private-sector lawyers like Kevin Shenkman are after the city. Shenkman recently won a controversial lawsuit<\/a> to force Huntington Beach to throw out its current voting system, and adopt a ranked-choice system instead that nobody voted for and almost nobody wants.<\/p>\n

\"It's<\/p>\n

It’s been a tough few years for Huntington Beach, politically speaking. CHRIS TORRES\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The beach town \u2014 Surf City, USA<\/a> \u2014 is one of the few conservative bastions left in California, and one of the only such towns on the coast. CHRIS TORRES\/EPA\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n

But Huntington Beach is still fighting \u2014 and still loving life in SoCal.<\/p>\n

This weekend, and for the week that follows, Huntington Beach is hosting the Lexus US Open of Surfing. It’s one of the most prestigious surfing contests in the world \u2014 and the timing couldn’t be better.<\/p>\n

Hurricane Fausto, far off the Pacific Coast, has churned up warm water and big waves. The hurricane is heading west \u2014 a safe distance from these shores \u2014 but it has served up the perfect conditions for an incredible surfing competition.<\/p>\n

Visitors from around the world are arriving in town to watch \u2014 on the heels of the World Cup, which also brought international tourists to the region.<\/p>\n

\"But<\/p>\n

But Huntington Beach is still fighting \u2014 and still loving life in SoCal. Pedro Colo for CA Post<\/p>\n

In Huntington Beach, the party never stopped.<\/p>\n

There’s also the vibe of the place. A visit to Huntington Beach is a throwback to California as it used to be \u2014 before homelessness overtook the beauty of LA, before wildfires destroyed Paradise and the Palisades.<\/p>\n

California used to be wild and free.<\/p>\n

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Conservative, yes: You could get a ticket for jaywalking, until just a few years ago, when Sacramento legislators decided that it was “racist” for police to stop pedestrians who had put themselves in danger.<\/p>\n

Traditional \u2014 sure. The bright crosses that still illuminate hilltops, even in the depths of urban LA, are a reminder of the religious foundations of California, from the missions to the megachurches.<\/p>\n

\"Traditional<\/p>\n

Traditional \u2014 sure. The bright crosses that still illuminate hilltops, even in the depths of urban LA, are a reminder of the religious foundations of California, from the missions to the megachurches. Pedro Colo for CA Post<\/p>\n

But California was also a place where it was safe to try new things, where people could thrive without being told they had to pay a price for their success.<\/p>\n

It was a place where everyone wanted to be \u2014 not a place people wanted to flee.<\/p>\n

Instead of attacking Huntington Beach, California should take the spirit of Surf City and spread it across the Golden State.<\/p>\n

We can still be that happy again.<\/p>\n