ANAHEIM, Calif. — An Anaheim city councilman resigned this week after facing tremendous backlash from vulgar and offensive text messages he sent to a resident aimed at a former female councilmember amid a growing recall effort.

What You Need To Know

  • Anaheim City Councilman Jordan Brandman stepped down from his post on Thursday

  • Brandman faced tremendous pressure from council colleagues and the Orange County Democratic Party after the private text messages became public

  • Last year, Brandman sent a series of offensive and vulgar text messages disparaging then councilmember Denise Barnes

  • The city will now appoint someone to take over Brandman's council seat

Jordan Brandman, a two-time city councilmember who represented the city's Council District 2, stepped down from the council Thursday, Aug. 5.

"It has been an honor to serve the residents of Anaheim, especially my friends and neighbors in Council District 2," said Brandman in a resignation letter to the city manager. "Like for most, there are periods in our lives when we are faced with competing career and personal priorities. For that reason, I have decided it is in the best interest of me and my family to focus on them at this time. I look forward to remaining an enthusiastic resident of Anaheim and am excited about the future of our city."

Brandman, a Democrat, served on the city council from 2012 to 2016 and was elected again for another four-year term in 2018. His current term was set to end in December 2022.

Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu had called for Brandman to resign after the text messages became public.

"I was shocked and appalled," the mayor said in a statement. "I immediately had concerns about the former council member's ability to effectively serve going forward. I gave Jordan some time to own his words, take responsibility for his actions, do what was best for Anaheim and to address his own well-being."

"As mayor, I have an obligation to pursue the right outcome for residents and our city as a whole," Sidhu added. "I made Jordan aware that at this point I would bring this matter to the City Council for potential censure and a call to resign."

Brandman's resignation comes more than a month after a series of year-old private text messages disparaging then city councilmember Denise Barnes came to light.

According to the Orange Juice Blog, a local political news blog, Brandman sent the offensive text messages that referred to Barnes as a vulgar term for female genitalia to a resident after a February 2020 city council meeting.

Brandman apologized for the text messages.

"My language in the heat of the moment over a year ago was beyond inappropriate and should never be uttered about any human being," said Brandman in a statement to local news sites.

Still, Brandman faced several criticisms from his colleagues on the city council and the Orange County Democratic Party, which had also called for him to step down. The Orange County Democratic Party released a resolution "denouncing misogyny" a month after the text messages became public.

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Additionally, Brandman was facing a recall effort headed by his former council colleague, Barnes, who served on the council from 2016 to 2020 but lost her re-election campaign.

The city council will now appoint someone to replace Brandman and serve his term until November 2022, when the District 2 seat is up for regular elections.

An appointment hearing is expected to take place in the coming weeks, a city official said.