Brian Burley

Burley was raised in a small town in Michigan, where, according to his 2019 Candidate Connection survey, his father was a forklift operator and his mother worked as a waitress and an accountant.[1] He visited Huntington Beach in 2007 to see his mother, who had moved to California for cancer treatment; she died in 2011, and he says the experience shaped his interest in public service.[1] He attended California State University, Fullerton before transferring to the University of Southern California, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political economy and later a master's degree in public policy.[1]

Burley owns an information-technology consulting and social-media marketing company based in Huntington Beach and has worked as an IT analyst at USC.[1] He ran for Huntington Beach City Council in 2018, finishing ninth of 15 candidates for four seats with 5.3% of the vote. As a Republican he then ran in the 2020 primary for California's 48th District, finishing third with 12.1%, and in the 2022 primary for the 47th District, finishing fourth with 7.1%; he withdrew from the 2024 primary for the 47th District.[1]

Burley was elected to the Huntington Beach City School District board in 2024, and he has been affiliated with the Orange County Central Committee of the California Republican Party. According to his campaign website, his school-board service focused on parents' voices, student opportunity and stewardship of taxpayer dollars.[1][3] He advanced from the June 2, 2026 top-two primary in the 42nd District with 20.6% of the vote, behind Robert Garcia.[1][4] He received 37.9% of the vote to Robert Garcia's 62.1%, according to unofficial results reported by NBC News.[2]