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
6,546 events, each with its sourceSB 1328 Cervantes Senate Third Reading By Solache
AB 1562 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1647 Bryan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1656 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1660 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1875 Hart Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1892 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1908 McKinnor Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 1910 Boerner Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1954 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1957 Pacheco Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1977 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2001 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2052 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2107 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2180 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2263 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2346 Wilson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2595 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2624 Bonta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
HR 86 Ta Consent Calendar Second Day
HR 130 Jackson Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 135 Celeste Rodriguez Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
HR 138 Aguiar-Curry Consent Calendar Second Day Regular Session
Be adopted. To Consent Calendar
AJR 9 Wallis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 296 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
SB 401 Hurtado Senate Third Reading By Irwin
SB 479 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 599 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 692 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Mark González
SB 872 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
SB 925 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Calderon
SB 932 Hurtado Senate Third Reading By Papan
SB 934 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 945 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Alanis
SB 977 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
SB 990 Grove Senate Third Reading By Ellis
SB 1030 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By Sharp-Collins
SB 1056 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 1069 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Wilson
SB 1135 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Rogers
SB 1149 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 1154 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Schultz
SB 1192 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Stefani
SB 1194 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Bonta
SB 1263 McGuire Senate Third Reading By Rogers
SB 1264 Valladares Senate Third Reading By Dixon
SB 1354 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
SB 1371 Durazo Senate Third Reading By Harabedian