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
6,549 events, each with its sourceAB 462 Lowenthal Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 468 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 476 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 478 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 531 Rogers Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 562 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 587 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 607 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 630 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 670 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 726 Ávila Farías Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 770 Mark González Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 779 Lackey Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 799 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 831 Valencia Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 841 Patel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 849 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 853 Wicks Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 896 Elhawary Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 969 Celeste Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 978 Hoover Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 979 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 986 Muratsuchi Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1005 Davies Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1007 Blanca Rubio Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1009 Blanca Rubio Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1032 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1089 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1181 Haney Concurrence in Senate Amendments
With recommendation: That Senate amendments be concurred in
AB 1263 Gipson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1264 Gabriel Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1288 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1293 Wallis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1327 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1363 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1373 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1400 Soria Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1476 Wallis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1524 JUD. Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
SB 11 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Bauer-Kahan
SB 42 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Lee
SB 53 Wiener Senate Third Reading By BAUER-KAHAN
SB 57 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Hart
SB 59 Wiener Third Reading Urgency By Mark González
SB 63 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Wilson
SB 75 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
SB 80 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Harabedian
SB 245 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Bryan
SB 271 Reyes Senate Third Reading By Fong