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
6,184 events, each with its sourceSB 1418 Cervantes Third Reading Urgency By Jackson
SB 1364 Menjivar Senate Third Reading By Krell
SB 1349 Gonzalez Senate Third Reading By Connolly
AB 871 Stefani Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1201 Jackson Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1359 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1579 Valencia Concurrence - Urgency Added
AB 1684 Ward Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1711 Connolly Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1722 Hadwick Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1784 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1786 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1809 Fong Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1837 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1860 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1864 Berman Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1894 Blanca Rubio Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 1999 Kalra Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2116 Schiavo Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2143 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2186 McKinnor Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2233 Ta Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2249 Irwin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2255 Pellerin Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2380 Papan Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2418 Mark González Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2576 Harabedian Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2634 Zbur Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2660 Alvarez Concurrence in Senate Amendments
AB 2766 Ahrens Concurrence in Senate Amendments
Be adopted. To third reading
AB 2780 Public Employment and Re Concurrence in Senate Amendments By McKINNOR
SB 226 Cabaldon Senate Third Reading By Aguiar-Curry
SB 239 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Pacheco
SB 594 Padilla Senate Third Reading By Wallis
SB 661 Hurtado Senate Third Reading By Aguiar-Curry
SB 874 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Addis
SB 946 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By JOHNSON
SB 949 Becker Senate Third Reading By Berman
SB 1029 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By Davies
SB 1049 Weber Pierson Senate Third Reading By Arambula
SB 1059 Archuleta Senate Third Reading By Pacheco
SB 1064 Dahle Senate Third Reading By Aguiar-Curry
SB 1073 Smallwood-Cuevas Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
SB 1093 Allen Senate Third Reading By Irwin
SB 1117 Cervantes Senate Third Reading By Quirk-Silva
SB 1150 Jones Senate Third Reading By Patel
SB 1166 Arreguín Senate Third Reading By Lee
SB 1186 Seyarto Senate Third Reading By Patterson
SB 1191 Ochoa Bogh Third Reading Urgency By Hadwick