Laguna Beach election 2026 · Official ballot position 2 of 9 · Nonpartisan candidate profile
Ashley Cintas: Laguna Beach City Council Candidate 2026
Non-incumbentDoes not currently hold a Laguna Beach City Council seat.
Ballot position 2. Candidate for one of three at-large seats (every Laguna Beach voter may vote for these seats; they are not assigned to geographic districts) in the November 3, 2026 election.
Laguna Beach restaurateur and Visit Laguna Beach board member whose campaign emphasizes operational discipline, wildfire preparedness, emergency medical access and the local economy.
Last reviewed August 27, 2026. Official ballot position follows the City Clerk’s August 13, 2026 candidate list, published after the Secretary of State randomized alphabet drawing.
Candidate dashboard
Ashley Cintas at a glance
Career background
A detailed professional résumé has not yet been published in a source So Laguna can verify.
Review experienceTop issues
Public safety and hospital access, Housing and land use, Traffic, parking and transit, Budget and capital projects, Environment,…
See sourced positionsPublic appearances
2026 candidate forums and debates
The City currently lists five forums hosted by independent community organizations. The hosts have affirmed that candidates were offered equal time and opportunity to appear. A listing does not establish that every candidate has confirmed attendance.
Village Laguna
6:00 p.m. · Council Chambers
505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
KXFM
5:30 p.m. · Neighborhood Congregational Church, Bridge Hall
340 St Ann’s Drive, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Greater Laguna Beach GOP
6:00 p.m. · Council Chambers
505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Laguna Beach Arts Alliance
9:00 a.m. · Forum Theater at Festival of Arts
650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce
6:00 p.m. · Council Chambers
505 Forest Avenue, Laguna Beach, CA 92651
Open the So Laguna events calendarVerify the City’s current schedule
Experience
Career background and qualifications
So Laguna has not yet located a sufficiently detailed professional résumé in an official or candidate-controlled source. The candidate may provide education, employment, management, public-service and relevant project experience for verification.
Read the fuller biographical summary
Cintas is the owner of Oto Sushi in Laguna Beach and describes nearly two decades of experience managing budgets, operations and complex projects. Her campaign says she is running to bring independent questioning, financial and operational discipline, measurable results and long-term planning to decisions involving wildfire preparedness, emergency medical access, infrastructure, tourism, neighborhood quality of life and the local economy.
In Laguna Beach and beyond
Local business and community roles
Cintas owns OTO Sushi, the public-facing Laguna Beach restaurant operated through the hospitality business identified in her Form 700, and serves on the Visit Laguna Beach board.
OTO Sushi
Owner and local restaurateur
Cintas opened OTO Sushi in Laguna Beach in 2024. Her Form 700 identifies the underlying restaurant and hospitality business as Epicurean Hospitality Collective.
Visit Laguna Beach
Board member
Visit Laguna Beach’s current board directory lists Ash Cintas as an OTO Sushi owner and board member.
Only current or clearly labeled former roles supported by public sources are included. A Form 700 income source is not treated as a candidate-owned business without additional evidence. Submit a correction or verification.
Candidate-provided material
From Ashley Cintas’s official candidate statement
The following is So Laguna’s concise summary of the candidate’s own ballot statement. It describes the candidate’s claims and priorities; it is not an endorsement or independent verification.
Cintas emphasizes operational leadership, long-range decision-making and listening before acting. Her stated priorities are fiscal responsibility, public safety—especially wildfire preparedness—and a strong local economy that preserves Laguna Beach’s character.
View the statement background and priority list
Background described in the statement
Cintas says she has nearly two decades of experience leading multi-department operations, managing complex budgets, creating jobs and building businesses. She identifies opening Oto Sushi in Laguna Beach as a commitment to the community.
Priorities emphasized
- Fiscal responsibility
- Wildfire preparedness and public safety
- A strong local economy
- Preservation of Laguna Beach’s character
- Resident listening and participation
- Long-term planning rather than short-term reactions
Issues and positions
Where Ashley Cintas stands
The summaries below distinguish candidate statements from So Laguna reporting. “Not yet located” means we did not find a citable position; it does not imply support or opposition. Tap an issue to read the sourced summary.
Public safety and hospital access
Cintas identifies public safety and wildfire preparedness as priorities. On her campaign’s “Laguna By the Numbers” page, she calls for independent analysis of Laguna’s emergency-care needs and says credible alternatives, funding sources and partnerships should be exhausted before accepting the loss of the local emergency room.
Housing and land use
No specific housing or land-use position appears in the official statement.
Traffic, parking and transit
Her campaign discusses visitor volume and commercial activity but does not publish a specific traffic, parking or transit proposal.
Budget and capital projects
Cintas emphasizes fiscal responsibility and experience managing complex budgets. Her campaign argues that the city should measure recurring spending, pursue underused revenue opportunities and demonstrate results before seeking higher taxes or fees.
Environment, beaches and wildfire
Cintas prioritizes wildfire preparedness and preserving Laguna Beach’s character. Her campaign describes emergency readiness as part of the city’s long-term financial and operational planning.
Arts, business and village character
She calls for a strong local economy while preserving community character. Her campaign proposes filling existing vacancies with more resident-serving businesses and seeking greater economic value from existing tourism through longer stays and stronger off-season demand rather than attracting more visitors.
Transparency and participation
Cintas says council should listen before deciding and weigh facts, alternatives, costs and tradeoffs. Her campaign calls for updated visitor data, measurable objectives and public reporting of results.
Official election records
Ashley Cintas candidate filings
These records are published by the Laguna Beach City Clerk. Campaign-finance totals below are summarized separately so amendments and reporting periods are not double counted.
Public financial disclosure
Form 700 summary
The filing reports ownership of a Laguna Beach restaurant and hospitality company and a commercial leasehold associated with the business.
So Laguna summarizes these public filings to identify relevant business, employment and property interests. Reported ranges are not estimates of net worth or proof of a conflict, and residential addresses and private third-party names are omitted.
View reported business, property and investment details
Businesses and income
- Epicurean Hospitality Collective — owner; restaurant and hospitality company in Laguna Beach; business interest reported over $1 million; gross business income reported over $100,000.
Real-property interests
- Commercial restaurant-premises leasehold in Laguna Beach with eight years remaining, reported in the $100,001-to-$1-million range.
Investments and other disclosures
- The filing marks no reportable single source providing $10,000 or more to the business.
Filing reviewed: August 6, 2026 candidate Form 700 · View the official City eFile record
Public questions
Ask Ashley Cintas a question
Submit a policy or public-service question. So Laguna moderates submissions for relevance and civility, and clearly labels candidate replies after verification.
How this works: Questions are reviewed before publication for relevance, civility, privacy and duplication. So Laguna may edit for length or clarity and will mark substantive edits. Published answers identify whether they came from the candidate, campaign or So Laguna editor.
No approved public questions yet. Submit the first question below.
Campaign finance
Ashley Cintas campaign finance
This live module displays only figures reviewed against official Laguna Beach campaign filings.
This accelerated report discloses a $7,000.00 contribution from Ashley Cintas, received August 21, 2026. The filing does not mark it as a loan.
Form 497 is an accelerated transaction report, not a complete campaign total. Total contributions, expenditures, cash and debt remain pending until a reviewed periodic statement is available.
Campaign-finance figures are compiled from public filings submitted to the City of Laguna Beach. Filings can be amended and recent transactions may not yet appear in periodic reports. So Laguna omits residential street addresses and links summaries to the original record.
View 1 itemized contribution$7,000.00 shown
These names, occupations, employers and general locations are taken from public FPPC campaign filings. So Laguna omits residential street addresses and other unnecessary personal information.
| Date | Contributor | Occupation / employer | City | Amount | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 21, 2026 | Ashley Cintas | Owner / OTO Sushi | Laguna Beach, CA | $7,000.00 | Filing p. 1 |
The amount shown here is the sum of the itemized rows displayed, not necessarily the committee’s total contributions. Smaller contributions may be reported only as an aggregate under FPPC rules.
Public voting record
Ashley Cintas voting record
Ashley Cintas is not currently a member of the body they are seeking to join, so they have no incumbent voting record for this race. This is not a judgment about other public or appointed roles.
Record and accountability
Public record and verification
This candidate does not have a Laguna Beach City Council voting record. So Laguna will add verified public-service records and questionnaire answers when relevant.
Search official campaign filings · City Clerk election information
Primary sources
Sources used for this profile
- Campaign website
- Campaign policy and city-data page
- Campaign Instagram
- Official candidate statement filed with the City Clerk
- Candidate Form 700 in the City’s official eFile system
- OTO Sushi — Best of Laguna Beach profile
- Visit Laguna Beach — board directory
- City of Laguna Beach 2026 General Municipal Election
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions
Is Ashley Cintas running for Laguna Beach City Council in 2026?
Yes. Ashley Cintas qualified for the November 3, 2026 ballot and appears in position 2 of nine candidates for three at-large City Council seats.
Is Ashley Cintas an incumbent?
No. Ashley Cintas is running as a non-incumbent candidate.
What businesses and community organizations is Ashley Cintas connected to?
Cintas owns OTO Sushi, the public-facing Laguna Beach restaurant operated through the hospitality business identified in her Form 700, and serves on the Visit Laguna Beach board. Each listed role includes its supporting public source.
What economic interests did Ashley Cintas disclose?
The filing reports ownership of a Laguna Beach restaurant and hospitality company and a commercial leasehold associated with the business. The complete filing is available through the City’s public eFile system.
How does So Laguna verify this profile?
So Laguna prioritizes official City records, campaign-controlled pages, public filings and dated primary-source statements. Unknown positions are labeled rather than inferred.
Where can I compare every candidate?
Use the Laguna Beach Election 2026 hub for the live candidate comparison and campaign-finance table in official ballot order.
Ask Ashley Cintas a public question