Tony Strickland

Tony Strickland
Born	(1970-02-17) February 17, 1970 Fort Ord, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Politician, consultant, CEO
Years active	1996–present
Known for	Member of California State Assembly (1998–2004), California State Senate (2008–2012, 2025–present), Mayor of Huntington Beach (2022–2023)

Anthony A. Strickland (born February 17, 1970) is an American legislator currently representing California's 36th State Senate district since 2025. Affiliated with the Republican Party, he previously served as the senator for California's 19th district from 2008 until 2012.

Between 2022 and 2025, Strickland was a member of the Huntington Beach City Council, holding the position of Mayor from 2022 to 2023. During his mayoral term, he actively resisted California’s housing regulations, resulting in disputes with state authorities.

Earlier in his career, he represented the 37th district in the California State Assembly from 1998 to 2004. Beyond elected office, Strickland operates a consulting firm specializing in political and business strategies and leads Strong America as its president and CEO, an advocacy organization coupled with a super PAC.

Early life, education, and early political career

Born at Fort Ord, California while his father was serving in the United States Army, Strickland’s family moved to Ventura County in 1973 after his parents met in Germany. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Whittier College, where he earned the Leadership and Service Award and was honored as a Nixon Scholar.

From 1996 to 1997, Strickland gained experience working on the staff of Assemblyman Tom McClintock.

California Assembly

Strickland first won election to the Assembly in 1998, capturing 49% of votes in a three-candidate contest. During that campaign, he distributed flyers that incorrectly suggested endorsement by Camarillo Mayor Charlotte Craven; after her objection, her name was removed, leaving only Mike Markey officially endorsing him.

There was also an allegation that Strickland’s campaign coordinated with an independent mailing from a Sacramento-based gun owners group attacking his opponent.

He successfully retained his seat in 2000 with 51% of the vote and again in 2002 with a larger margin of 63.1%. Due to term limits preventing a fourth term in 2004, his then-wife, Audra Strickland, succeeded him and was re-elected in both 2006 and 2008.

2006 bid for State Controller

In 2006, Strickland sought the office of California State Controller, securing 41% of the vote in a four-candidate primary, surpassing State Senator Abel Maldonado, who received 37%. However, in the general election, John Chiang defeated Strickland by obtaining 50.7% compared to Strickland’s 40.2%.

California Senate

Strickland vied for the California Senate seat in the 19th district against Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson. This district encompasses regions within Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties. The race was notably competitive and stood as the narrowest state Senate contest in California that year.

Criticism arose during the campaign regarding Strickland’s asserted business credentials; his campaign materials identified him as vice president of Green Wave Energy Solutions, LLC, despite his career being predominantly political and the company lacking operations within California.

Jackson conceded five days prior to Strickland’s official induction after he secured victory by a slim margin of 900 votes. With both Strickland and his wife Audra serving simultaneously in the legislature, they became only the second married couple in California history to hold office at the same time.

2010 State Controller Election

During the June 2010 primary, Strickland earned the Republican nomination for State Controller with 60% of the vote, setting up a rematch against incumbent John Chiang, who faced no opposition for the Democratic nomination. Chiang widened his margin in the general election, winning with 55% over Strickland’s 36%.

2012 Congressional Election

In January 2012, Strickland declared his candidacy for the newly redrawn California's 26th congressional district, centered in Ventura County. On November 6, 2012, he was defeated by Democrat Julia Brownley.

2014 Congressional Election

After Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon, who had represented California's 25th congressional district since 1993, retired and endorsed him, Strickland also received backing from former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan. He ran against then-California State Senator Steve Knight on November 4, 2014, but was unsuccessful. This district includes northern areas of Los Angeles County and portions of Ventura County, covering cities such as Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, Palmdale, and Lancaster.

Campaign Finance Penalties

In December 1999, Strickland was fined $6,000 by the California Secretary of State for failing to disclose $116,140 in late contributions, violating provisions of the California Political Reform Act of 1974.

In April 2010, the California Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) imposed a $3,000 penalty on Strickland for distributing a mass mailing that omitted the committee’s name on its exterior.

In May 2016, Strickland agreed to pay a $40,000 fine to resolve an FPPC inquiry that found he laundered campaign funds during his 2010 state controller campaign by funneling contributions through Republican committees to bypass state limits. The Commission noted his lack of full cooperation during the investigation. While he accepted responsibility for eight violations, he denied directly soliciting those routed donations.

Support for Trump

Throughout the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, Strickland endorsed Donald Trump and acted as a Trump delegate at the 2016 Republican National Convention. In May 2016, he was appointed as the California chairman of the "Committee for American Sovereignty," a pro-Trump super PAC.

Huntington Beach city council

In November 2022, Strickland secured a seat on the Huntington Beach city council, joining three other conservatives who formed a new majority after running together as a slate.

Mayoral tenure

Strickland was sworn in as mayor of Huntington Beach on December 7, 2022, serving a one-year term. The conservative-dominated council elected him mayor with a 4–3 vote, designating Grace Van Der Mark as mayor pro tempore. On December 6, 2023, Van Der Mark took over the mayoral role by the same vote count, while Pat Burns became pro tem. In both years, the council voted 4–3 to overturn previous resolutions that assigned the pro tem position based on seniority; in 2023, Strickland initiated the motion to alter this tradition.

He remains an active member of the city council.

Housing policy

During his service as mayor and councilmember, Strickland was a vocal opponent of expanding housing availability. Under his leadership, Huntington Beach suspended applications for accessory dwelling units, prompting California Attorney General Rob Bonta to file suit against the city for violating the California HOME Act (SB 9), which requires municipalities to permit increased housing development. Additionally, Huntington Beach challenged the state’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment, arguing it infringed on local control; however, a federal judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order against this law. Bonta described the city's lawsuit as a "baseless and obstructionist attempt" to resist state housing regulations.

While Strickland expressed support for affordable housing in principle, he contended that Huntington Beach is "95% built out" and opposed initiatives he believed threatened the suburban coastal environment. In 2023, he criticized what he described as "high rise high density urbanization" being "imposed" on the community.

In 2024, Strickland endorsed a ballot measure permitting California cities to implement rent control on newly constructed apartments. Although personally opposed to rent control policies, he supported this initiative because it would grant local governments authority to enforce stringent restrictions on new housing developments, effectively limiting construction.

Political consulting career

Strickland founded Strong America, a super PAC, in October 2015 and currently serves as its president and CEO.

Personal life

Strickland has two children from his first marriage to Audra Strickland, whom he wed in 1998 before their eventual divorce. He married Carla Dispalatro Strickland on February 17, 2019.

Real estate holdings

Strickland and his wife live in an approximately 1,800-square-foot, four-bedroom condominium located on Huntington Beach’s west side. Purchased in 2000 for $319,000, this property is officially designated as an affordable housing unit under state regulations—a fact that has led to accusations of inconsistency given his opposition to affordable housing mandates.

Additionally, he owns a residence in Moorpark within Ventura County.

Electoral history

Party	Candidate	Votes	Percentage
California Democratic Party	Julia Brownley	139,072	52.7%
California Republican Party	Tony Strickland	124,863	47.3%
Total votes		263,935
Outcome		Democratic gain from Republican

External links

• Official campaign website
• Join California Tony Strickland