Diane Dixon came to Assembly District 72 through Newport Beach City Hall, after 40 years as a private-sector business executive. Elected to the City Council in 2014, she served two terms as mayor and built her public record around budgets, pension liabilities, public safety and infrastructure. She also worked in the regional bodies where Orange County cities coordinate with one another: the Association of California Cities-Orange County, the Southern California Association of Governments and the Orange County Council of Governments. Her first campaign for the Assembly ended in a narrow defeat in 2020. She ran again and won in 2022.
BEFORE PUBLIC OFFICE
Dixon earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science from the University of Southern California. She was married to Pat Dixon, a career prosecutor who serves as special counsel to the Orange County district attorney.
Her four decades in business preceded her first elected office. Over nearly the same span, she served on philanthropic and community-based boards. Those included United Way Orange County and the YMCA, along with the USC Board of Councilors and Alumni Association. Her community work also extended to educational institutions, child service agencies and health-related organizations.
That is the background Dixon brought to city government: a long business career accompanied by sustained work through boards and local institutions. Before voters put her on the City Council, much of her civic activity took place through organizations that operate alongside government rather than inside it.
NEWPORT BEACH AND THE REGION
Dixon was elected to the Newport Beach City Council in 2014 and later served two terms as mayor. Her record there centered on the ordinary but consequential machinery of municipal government. During her mayoral service, her leadership helped the city deliver budget surpluses, pay down pension liabilities, improve public safety and complete infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
Her work also involved cooperation among residents, businesses and government in resolving community problems. She also held roles beyond Newport Beach in organizations connecting city officials across Orange County and Southern California. Dixon became a past president of the Association of California Cities-Orange County. She served from 2019 through 2022 on the regional council of SCAG, the Southern California Association of Governments, and also served on the board of the Orange County Council of Governments.
These roles placed her in regional councils and associations beyond Newport Beach, including organizations connecting cities across Orange County and Southern California.
THE JUMP
Dixon first ran for the California State Assembly in 2020 against first-term Democratic Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris. She lost the general election by a very narrow margin.
The district map changed before the next election. In 2022, redistricting led Petrie-Norris to run in a neighboring district. Dixon ran again and won an Assembly seat in 2022.
Her route to the Legislature was therefore neither immediate nor detached from local office. It ran from a Newport Beach council election through two terms as mayor, regional council and board roles, and two Assembly campaigns. The close 2020 loss remained a loss; after redistricting led Petrie-Norris to run in a neighboring district in 2022, Dixon secured the office on her second attempt.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Dixon’s clearest documented policy record is in municipal management. The items attached to her mayoral record are specific: budget surpluses, reduced pension liabilities, public safety improvements, infrastructure delivered on time and within budget, and cooperation among residents, businesses and government. Her regional roles added work through councils and associations connecting local governments.
No particular Assembly bill appears in the available record here. What does appear is attention to local government’s finances, services and physical work, together with long service to community organizations. The documented interests include cities managing budgets and infrastructure; residents, businesses and government working to resolve community problems; and organizations serving education, children and health.
On the documented record, Dixon was a business executive who entered municipal office, served in Orange County regional organizations and then won election to the Assembly.
- State Assembly · Assembly District 72 · 2022–present
Diane Dixon came to Assembly District 72 through Newport Beach City Hall, after 40 years as a private-sector business executive. Elected to the City Council in 2014, she served two terms as mayor and built her public record around budgets, pension liabilities, public safety and infrastructure. She also worked in the regional bodies where Orange County cities coordinate with one another: the Association of California Cities-Orange County, the Southern California Association of Governments and the Orange County Council of Governments. Her first campaign for the Assembly ended in a narrow defeat in 2020. She ran again and won in 2022.
BEFORE PUBLIC OFFICE
Dixon earned a Bachelor of Arts with honors in political science from the University of Southern California. She was married to Pat Dixon, a career prosecutor who serves as special counsel to the Orange County district attorney.
Her four decades in business preceded her first elected office. Over nearly the same span, she served on philanthropic and community-based boards. Those included United Way Orange County and the YMCA, along with the USC Board of Councilors and Alumni Association. Her community work also extended to educational institutions, child service agencies and health-related organizations.
That is the background Dixon brought to city government: a long business career accompanied by sustained work through boards and local institutions. Before voters put her on the City Council, much of her civic activity took place through organizations that operate alongside government rather than inside it.
NEWPORT BEACH AND THE REGION
Dixon was elected to the Newport Beach City Council in 2014 and later served two terms as mayor. Her record there centered on the ordinary but consequential machinery of municipal government. During her mayoral service, her leadership helped the city deliver budget surpluses, pay down pension liabilities, improve public safety and complete infrastructure projects on time and within budget.
Her work also involved cooperation among residents, businesses and government in resolving community problems. She also held roles beyond Newport Beach in organizations connecting city officials across Orange County and Southern California. Dixon became a past president of the Association of California Cities-Orange County. She served from 2019 through 2022 on the regional council of SCAG, the Southern California Association of Governments, and also served on the board of the Orange County Council of Governments.
These roles placed her in regional councils and associations beyond Newport Beach, including organizations connecting cities across Orange County and Southern California.
THE JUMP
Dixon first ran for the California State Assembly in 2020 against first-term Democratic Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris. She lost the general election by a very narrow margin.
The district map changed before the next election. In 2022, redistricting led Petrie-Norris to run in a neighboring district. Dixon ran again and won an Assembly seat in 2022.
Her route to the Legislature was therefore neither immediate nor detached from local office. It ran from a Newport Beach council election through two terms as mayor, regional council and board roles, and two Assembly campaigns. The close 2020 loss remained a loss; after redistricting led Petrie-Norris to run in a neighboring district in 2022, Dixon secured the office on her second attempt.
THE POLICY SIGNATURE
Dixon’s clearest documented policy record is in municipal management. The items attached to her mayoral record are specific: budget surpluses, reduced pension liabilities, public safety improvements, infrastructure delivered on time and within budget, and cooperation among residents, businesses and government. Her regional roles added work through councils and associations connecting local governments.
No particular Assembly bill appears in the available record here. What does appear is attention to local government’s finances, services and physical work, together with long service to community organizations. The documented interests include cities managing budgets and infrastructure; residents, businesses and government working to resolve community problems; and organizations serving education, children and health.
On the documented record, Dixon was a business executive who entered municipal office, served in Orange County regional organizations and then won election to the Assembly.
The record
7,067 events, each with its sourceAB 679 Pellerin Assembly Third Reading
AB 1175 Irwin Assembly Third Reading
AB 16 Alanis Assembly Third Reading
AJR 6 Aguiar-Curry Assembly Third Reading
AB 787 Papan Assembly Third Reading
AB 492 Valencia Assembly Third Reading
AB 1286 Boerner Assembly Third Reading
AB 428 Blanca Rubio Assembly Third Reading
AB 831 Ramos Assembly Third Reading
Drowning Awareness and Prevention Month.
AB 536 Patterson Assembly Third Reading
AB 1438 Gallagher Third Reading Urgency
AB 515 Pacheco Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 952 Elhawary Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 570 Calderon Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 406 Bennett Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
AB 379 Krell Assembly Second Reading Amend By SCHULTZ Set #1
AB 379 Krell Assembly Second Reading Amend By SCHULTZ Set #1 Motion to Lay on the Table By MACEDO
AB 379 Krell Assembly Second Reading Amend By SCHULTZ Set #1 Appeal the Decision of the Speaker By MACEDO
Relative to Brain Tumor Awareness Month.
AB 457 Soria Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Relative to National Public Works Week.
AB 516 Kalra Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 521 Carrillo Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 365 Schiavo Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1213 Stefani Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1496 Blanca Rubio Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1072 Pellerin Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 529 Ahrens Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 1514 Labor and Employment Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 313 Ortega Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
California Small Business Month.
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 272 Aguiar-Curry Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 559 Berman Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1526 Governmental Organization Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations]
AB 1527 Governmental Organization Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 1004 Wallis Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
AB 799 Celeste Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Do pass as amended, and be re-referred to the Committee on [Appropriations] with recommendation: To Consent Calendar
AB 243 Ahrens Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session