Cara Stewart is a strategic communications executive, entrepreneur, former journalist, nonprofit leader, and public servant whose career has been built around one central mission: helping people, organizations, and communities navigate complex challenges with transparency, collaboration, and thoughtful leadership. Now seeking election to the Costa Mesa City Council, she brings more than 30 years of experience at the intersection of government, business, media, and civic engagement.

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Stewart's commitment to public service began as a reporter for the Orange County Register, where she covered the cities of Buena Park and La Palma, along with the local school district and library district. She spent years attending city council meetings, interviewing elected officials, city staff, business leaders, and residents, and explaining how local government decisions affected everyday life. Those experiences gave her an appreciation for the importance of responsive government, careful budgeting, transparent decision-making, and meaningful community engagement.

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During that time, Stewart was also part of the newsroom team covering one of Orange County's defining moments: the historic 1994 Orange County bankruptcy and its aftermath. Reporting on the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time gave her firsthand insight into the lasting consequences of fiscal mismanagement, the difficult work of rebuilding public confidence, and the importance of making decisions that protect taxpayers not only today, but for future generations. That experience continues to shape her belief that good government requires responsible stewardship, long-term planning, and the courage to address challenges before they become crises.

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Journalism taught Stewart to listen first, ask thoughtful questions, seek out diverse perspectives, and earn public trust through facts and accountability. Those principles have guided every chapter of her career since.

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She later brought that experience into public service, working in municipal communications where she helped government communicate openly with residents, navigate sensitive public issues, and strengthen relationships between city leadership and the community. Working inside local government gave her a deeper understanding of how successful cities operate—from balancing competing priorities and managing public resources to coordinating across departments and serving residents with professionalism and integrity.

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As the founder and CEO of WunderMarx, Stewart has spent more than two decades advising Fortune 500 companies, public agencies, healthcare innovators, construction firms, nonprofits, educational institutions, and emerging technology companies during moments of significant growth, change, and public scrutiny. Her work focuses on helping leaders communicate clearly, build trust, anticipate challenges, and unite diverse stakeholders around shared goals. Whether leading crisis communications, public affairs campaigns, executive positioning, or community engagement initiatives, Stewart has consistently helped organizations solve difficult problems by bringing people together rather than driving them apart.

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Her business experience has also given her a practical understanding of budgeting, strategic planning, workforce development, economic competitiveness, and the challenges facing employers, entrepreneurs, and small businesses. She believes thriving local businesses are essential to creating strong neighborhoods, expanding opportunity, and maintaining a healthy city budget.

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Stewart has carried that same commitment to service into the nonprofit sector, serving on numerous boards and advisory committees focused on education, civic leadership, healthcare, workforce development, and community engagement. She currently serves as Chair of the Costa Mesa Animal Services Committee, where she has advocated for replacing a cycle of emergency responses with long-term planning for a sustainable, city-operated animal services model. Her leadership reflects her belief that government should solve problems proactively rather than simply reacting to them.

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She also serves as the Vice Chair on the Board of Directors for Someone Cares Soup Kitchen and the Board of Directors of the Golden West College Foundation, and has held leadership positions with organizations supporting Alzheimer's research, civic engagement, professional development, and community service. Throughout her volunteer work, Stewart has earned a reputation for building consensus, strengthening governance, mentoring future leaders, and helping organizations become more effective and mission-driven.

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Across every stage of her career, Stewart has viewed leadership through multiple lenses: as the journalist holding institutions accountable, the government professional communicating with the public, the business owner creating jobs and advising organizations, the nonprofit leader building stronger communities, and the volunteer working alongside residents to improve the place they call home.

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Those experiences have shaped how she would serve on the Costa Mesa City Council.

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Stewart believes local government works best when leaders listen before they speak, plan for the long term instead of the next election cycle, make fiscally responsible decisions, communicate honestly, and treat every resident with respect. She believes complex issues rarely have simple answers, but they can be solved through thoughtful leadership, collaboration, and a willingness to bring people together around common goals.

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As a candidate for Costa Mesa City Council, Stewart is committed to protecting what makes Costa Mesa special while preparing thoughtfully for the future. Her priorities include maintaining safe neighborhoods, supporting local businesses, investing in infrastructure and public spaces, strengthening transparency and community engagement, planning responsibly for housing and growth, modernizing city communications, and ensuring that every decision reflects both fiscal responsibility and the long-term interests of residents.

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For Stewart, public service has never been about politics alone. It has been the common thread connecting every chapter of her professional life. Whether reporting on city government, serving inside municipal government, advising leaders, building organizations, or volunteering in her community, her work has always centered on earning trust, solving problems, and helping people build a stronger future together.