Five candidates pull papers to vie for two City Council positions

By Barbara Burke · Sat Jul 25 2026

Three newcomers join incumbents Marianne Riggins and Doug Stewart as the November election takes shape

As the Nov. 3 City of Malibu election approaches, two Malibu City Council positions are open. As of July 20, five residents have pulled papers to vie for two City Council positions. Applicants have until Aug. 13 to file the proper paperwork with the Malibu city clerk, supported by the requisite number of residents’ signatures, to enter the race.    

The five current candidates include Anne Komarovsk, Crystal “Cici” Hoang Lee, and Danny Smith, all of whom have not held City Council positions. Those three candidates will face the two incumbents who are seeking to continue on the council, Marianne Riggins and Doug Stewart. 

New faces in the race

Anne Komarovsk, also sometimes spelled Annestacia KomarovsK, is a local activist and civic commentator.  Her professional background is in broadcast and media production. She operates SayRabbit LLC and produces the 4th Estate NewZ, which focuses on Malibu local news and government accountability.  

Komarovsk was an independent political candidate with “no party preference,” who ran in the primary for California governor in 2026. She did not progress to the general election. She also has declared an early independent candidacy for the 2028 U.S. Presidential election. Her website is NPP2026.com. 

Komarovsk is also now a candidate for Malibu City Council, becoming qualified, “as Malibu’s first nonpartisan candidate by Los Angeles County, California, Secretary of State and the federal government,” according to her Facebook post on July 10. 

Crystal “Cici” Hoang Lee declared her candidacy on social media on July 2, stating that, if she is elected, she will “focus on protecting all that breathes and being a voice for nature so as to ensure a positive future for all in Malibu.” An avid horse lover, Hoang Lee stated in subsequent social media colloquy that she would “work extremely hard to protect the waters people fish,” and that she would also work to protect area canyons. Receiving a host of laudatory responses to her candidacy declaration on social media, one person simply expressed he is happy Hoang Lee is in the race and advocated, “No more lame game.” 

The final new face in the race is Danny Smith, who has taken a lead in burned-out residents interfacing with the City of Malibu in the rebuild process. In an email to The Malibu Times, Smith described himself as a “fire survivor, homeowner, zone captain for the La Costa and Carbon Beach neighborhoods, and a member of the Malibu Rebuild Task Force.” Elaborating, he stated, “Having experienced first-hand the impact of losing one’s home, I will work diligently to adopt a 'Fire First' culture within the city, ensuring all decision-making keeps disaster resiliency top-of-mind, with continued focus on expediting permitting and removing barriers to rebuilding.”

Seeking to serve further

City Council incumbents Marianne Riggins and Doug Stewart both seek re-election. They were both elected to the City Council in November 2022. Riggins, a long-time city employee and a Malibu native, has always noted that she wishes to serve to make Malibu’s government more efficient and productive as well as ensuring that the Malibu City Council is responsive to residents’ needs. 

“I was lucky enough to grow up in Malibu and raise my daughter here,” Riggins posted when she first sought office in 2022. “I love this town and I will fight to protect it. Malibu residents need someone on the City Council who understands the rules and codes of Malibu, and as someone who has worked for the city for 17 years, I will work to expedite projects including fire rebuilds for the benefit of our residents and community.”

Stewart, the other incumbent, has a background in private-sector banking, and throughout his tenure with the City Council, he has focused on balancing the need to rebuild and the city’s need to be fiscally responsible and solvent. 

Stewart, who has been endorsed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, previously served as vice-chair of the Public Safety Commission and has been a member of the Malibu Community Response team since 2008. To find out more about him, readers can refer to Stewart4malibu.com. Stewart’s campaign emphasizes that he and his other councilmembers have led the city through the emergency responses to the three fires we experienced during his tenure — the Broad, Franklin and Palisades Fires, and the floods that followed. “This election decides whether Malibu keeps experienced, results-driven leadership — or starts over,” his website declares. 

Both Riggins and Stewart have served as mayor of Malibu during their tenure as that position is filled on a rotating basis from the council. 

Expect to hear from the candidates

Soon, The Malibu Times will be collaborating with local leaders to host conversations with the candidates concerning challenges that Malibu is facing and the candidates’ viewpoints on all the issues involved in leading this community. We will keep readers informed concerning such events. 

The City’s General Municipal Elections are consolidated with Los Angeles County elections.

The nomination period for Malibu City Council opened July 13 and ends Aug. 7.

Nomination packets may be picked up in person from the City Clerk’s Office at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. For more information, go to malibucity.org/190/Election-information. To schedule an appointment to pull nomination paperwork to begin the nomination process, email City Clerk Kelsey Pettijohn at KPettihohn@malibucity.orgor call (310) 456-2489, ext. 228. 

Editor’s Note: As of today, none of the candidates who have pulled nomination papers have filed their papers or qualified for the ballot, according to the City of Malibu.

The City’s Election webpage includes a candidate list under the Candidate Information tab that is updated daily to reflect filing activity. The list shows the date each candidate was issued nomination papers, filed the completed papers and qualified for the ballot.

Candidates will be listed as qualified only after their nomination signatures have been verified and the City confirms they received the required number of signatures from registered Malibu voters.