That’s what brought me to Irvine, a thriving community of about 250,000 people between Los Angeles and San Diego that is the suburban epitome of the American dream: gleaming homes with glossy lawns, purring vehicles and an abundance of technology jobs. The average household income is $90,000, and two-thirds of residents are college graduates. It has the lowest rate of violent crime in America for a city of its size.

On its website, the City Council estimates Irvine’s total assessed valuation at $55.7 billion, a little more than the gross domestic product of Lebanon. Eleven candidates are vying for the Council’s two open seats, including Anila Ali, a Pakistan-born educator who was among the leading supporters of Mrs. Clinton in the California delegation at the Philadelphia convention.

Ms. Ali, 50, said her campaign cost $50,000, mostly from her family’s funds, including money for a campaign manager, TV advertisements on local channels and lawn signs bearing her picture. Still, when I caught up with her last week, she was jittery — her husband kept warning her that she was losing.

It has certainly been a hard-fought campaign. Candidates have distributed fliers and emails accusing one another of not paying taxes, having large business debts or, in one case, a hit-and run conviction in a road accident in 1999. Some candidates were backed by big party machines and donors, especially on the Republican side, and local construction companies were also powerful players.

But Ms. Ali’s most potent challenge came from close by: Farrah N. Khan, a fellow Democrat who was also born in Pakistan.

Ms. Khan, 44, a businesswoman, had stolen a march on Ms. Ali by garnering the endorsement of young Democrats at the 30,000-student University of California, Irvine, a crucial battleground in the election.