Planning Commission chair Lee Lowrey announces run for Newport Beach City Council

Another competitor has entered the Newport Beach City Council election for District 4, which represents the Eastbluff and Bonita Canyon neighborhoods.

Newport Beach Planning Commission Chair Lee Lowrey announced his bid for the council on Wednesday with an official statement from his campaign. Lowrey will be running against Robyn Grant for the seat currently occupied by Mayor Kevin Muldoon, who will be terming out at the end of this year.

Muldoon was elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018.

Seats are also up in Districts 1, 3 and 6, at least two of which will see their incumbents — Councilwoman Diane Dixon and Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield — terming out. Councilwoman Joy Brenner is running for reelection in her district, which represents the voters of Corona del Mar.

Council members represent districts but are voted in at large.

“My experience in the development business, serving the past five years on the Newport Beach Planning Commission [as the] current chairman and six years on the Orange County Airport Commission gives me the background to serve Newport’s residents on our most challenging issues,” said Lowrey in a statement.

City staff on Thursday morning said no candidacy paperwork had yet been filed for Lowrey, but the ballot will not be formalized until July.

Lowrey was appointed to the Newport Beach Planning Commission in 2017 and was reappointed last June. His term on the commission now runs until 2025. Lowrey previously ran for election in District 5, which represents Balboa Island and the Fashion Island area.

He lost to former Councilman Jeff Herdman in 2016.

A resident of Newport Beach since 1998, Lowrey was a co-founder of Arbor Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in the city that specializes in real estate investment and development. His top priorities are, according to his statement, addressing the regional housing needs assessment numbers, prevention of expansion of John Wayne Airport and returning local control of the harbor to the city.

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