Your Support Help Defeat a MAGA Takeover of the Huntington Beach Library
Thank you so much for your support!
On June 10, 2025, voters in Huntington Beach faced two critical decisions about the future of their public library system. After months of heated public debate, grassroots organizing, and political theater, both Measure A and Measure B were approved by the electorate.
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Thank you to many of our supporters who contributed directly to the Huntington Beach campaign.
Donations to EveryLibrary made it possible to provide training, strategy, and support to the Huntington Beach library ballot committee - working directly with local campaign leadership and actively participating in coalition meetings to help guide messaging, outreach, and mobilization. From start to finish, we stood alongside the community to defend their public library from political overreach.
Your support makes this work possible.
Measure A passed with 58.96% of the vote (30,407 votes in favor, 21,169 opposed). This measure repeals a City Council ordinance that would have created a 21-member “Community Parent Review Board.” The board would have had the power to review and potentially restrict or relocate children’s books in the public library based on what it deemed to be acceptable under vague “community standards.” Critics saw this ordinance as a direct threat to intellectual freedom and professional library standards, potentially paving the way for politically motivated censorship under the guise of protecting children.
Measure B, which passed with 60.95% support (31,409 votes in favor, 20,120 opposed), amends the city charter to prevent Huntington Beach from selling or privatizing the management and operations of its public libraries without direct voter approval. The measure was designed to safeguard the library from being handed over to for-profit or politically connected private entities, a growing concern in communities facing ideological interference in public institutions.
Every $1 we raise helps us secure over $1,600 in library funding through our ballot measure support.
A Contentious Campaign
These two measures didn’t emerge in a vacuum - they were responses to growing tensions within the city. Huntington Beach has become a high-profile battleground in America’s broader culture wars. Over the past year, the conservative-majority City Council took aggressive steps to align library services with partisan politics. Council members openly campaigned from the pulpits of local churches, urging congregants to vote against the measures and warning of “pornographic books” in the children’s section - a claim that local librarians and parent advocates strongly rejected.
Around the city, inflammatory signs were posted with slogans like “Protect Kids from Porn,” misleading voters and stoking fear. For many residents, these tactics crossed the line. The rhetoric and the imagery sparked anger among voters who saw these actions as a thinly veiled effort to censor and control public information and to discredit the trusted professionals who run the library.
A Passionate Coalition
In response, a passionate and resilient ballot committee formed under the name Our Library Matters. The committee, made up of local residents, educators, former librarians, parents, and concerned citizens, waged a campaign that was everything the opposition was not: transparent, community-driven, and rooted in a love for literacy and public access.
Supporters of the measures organized parades down city streets, hosted town halls and virtual info sessions, and recruited local authors, an ex-NFL player, educators, and civic leaders to join the cause. Volunteers distributed yard signs, canvassed neighborhoods, and consistently showed up to speak at City Council meetings. Their message was clear: Huntington Beach residents value a library that is inclusive, professional, and free from political manipulation.
Despite the hostile climate and well-funded opposition, the grassroots campaign prevailed. But while the election results are cause for celebration, advocates warn that this is not the end of the fight - it’s the beginning of a new phase. Measure A’s passage means the city’s attempt to create a censorship board has been repealed, but local officials could still attempt other forms of influence or policy restrictions in the future. Measure B prevents privatization for now, but as political tides shift, so too could future threats.
The pro-library coalition in Huntington Beach has made it clear they plan to continue organizing, educating, and holding public officials accountable. Their success demonstrates the power of collective action in defending public institutions and underscores the importance of staying engaged beyond Election Day.
Help us continue to support libraries at the ballot box by starting a monthly donation of just $1, $3, or $5 today!
A Final Thought
In Huntington Beach, the community's message is loud and clear: Libraries belong to the people, not to politicians. The election is over, but the commitment to protect public access, intellectual freedom, and libraries' democratic promise continues.
To join the national network of library advocates fighting for access, equity, and funding - visit everylibrary.org. We’re able to show up for communities like Huntington Beach because people like you show up for us - through donations, advocacy, and spreading the word. Together, we keep libraries and communities strong.