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
7,012 events, each with its sourceAB 1322 Agriculture Concurrence in Senate Amendments By SORIA
AB 1339 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1369 Ramos Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1408 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SB 72 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Soria
SB 76 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By Chen
SB 246 Grove Senate Third Reading By Hadwick
SB 250 Ochoa Bogh Senate Third Reading By Chen
SB 456 Ashby Senate Third Reading By Jackson
SB 484 Laird Senate Third Reading By Haney
SB 512 Pérez Senate Third Reading By Wicks
SB 576 Umberg Senate Third Reading By Lowenthal
SB 680 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Krell
SB 694 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Schiavo
SB 695 Cortese Senate Third Reading By Soria
SB 783 Rubio Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 785 Caballero Senate Third Reading By Elhawary
SB 788 Niello Senate Third Reading By Krell
SB 831 Limón Senate Third Reading By Muratsuchi
SB 863 Revenue and Taxation Senate Third Reading By GIPSON
AJR 5 Lee Concurrence in Senate Amendments
SJR 1 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Zbur
AB 59 Aguiar-Curry Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 87 Boerner Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 238 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 391 Michelle Rodriguez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 414 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 420 Petrie-Norris Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 482 Solache Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 516 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 571 Quirk-Silva Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 574 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 583 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 652 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 696 Ransom Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1008 Addis Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1154 Carrillo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1150 Schultz Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1523 Judiciary Concurrence in Senate Amendments By KALRA
SB 31 McNerney Senate Third Reading By Alvarez
SB 62 Menjivar Senate Third Reading By Bonta
SB 40 Wiener Senate Third Reading By Bains
SB 92 Blakespear Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 230 Laird Senate Third Reading By Berman
SB 221 Ochoa Bogh Senate Third Reading
SB 358 Becker Senate Third Reading By Ward
SB 362 Grayson Senate Third Reading By Blanca Rubio
SB 439 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Flora
SB 489 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Alvarez
SB 499 Stern Senate Third Reading By Ransom