Candidates for 72nd Assembly and 5th O.C. Supervisorial districts meet voters during Speak Up Newport panel
With the June primary two months away, candidates for the newly redrawn 72nd state Assembly and 5th Orange County supervisorial districts met Wednesday night in Newport Beach to introduce themselves to their prospective constituents and give their takes on policy issues facing local residents.
The panel was hosted by Speak Up Newport, which describes itself as a community forum for the residents of Newport Beach. Board member Debra Allen moderated discussion.
The 72nd state Assembly district is currently represented by Assemblywoman Janet Nguyen (R-Fountain Valley) and includes the cities of Fountain Valley, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach, Los Alamitos, Midway City, Rossmoor, Santa Ana, Seal Beach and Westminster. With the redrawn borders, the district now stretches from Sunset Beach down to parts of Laguna Niguel and into Lake Forest.
Nguyen announced in December she would be running to represent the 36th state Senate district.
Meanwhile, the 5th Orange County supervisorial district is represented by County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett and previously covered much of southern Orange County.
With redistricting, the district has been expanded to include Costa Mesa and Newport Beach, drawing current 2nd District County Supervisor Katrina Foley, a Democrat, into the race. Foley oversees the second district, which now will include Santa Ana, Anaheim, Orange, Garden Grove, Tustin and some unincorporated land.
Bartlett, a Republican, will be running for the 49th congressional district against Rep. Mike Levin (D-San Juan Capistrano).
The panel Wednesday night introduced the candidates running in both races, though Democrat candidate Judie Mancuso and state Sen. Pat Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) were unable to attend due to prior commitments. Bates’ campaign chief, Suzette Swallow, substituted.
Each candidate was given five minutes to introduce themselves and a two-minute rebuttal window.
Dixon, a Republican, former mayor and current member of the Newport Beach City Council, said she is running for office so she could “go to the very source of the problems and shout from the rooftops if I have to to stop the policy craziness in California.”
She said the issues of homelessness, public safety, education choice and high taxes are among her priorities. Dixon added that she wanted to restore local control to cities.
Opponent Benjamin Yu introduced himself as an immigrant, veteran and businessman. Yu lived in New York until his move to Newport Beach in 2011 and said he would be tougher on crime but also called attention to the homelessness crisis and described himself as having been a homeless veteran. He also said he hoped to repeal the gas tax. Yu described himself as an independent.
In the county supervisor race, Foley said she is trying to keep the job she was elected to just last year. She stressed the efforts she has already made and named public safety, homelessness, climate action and John Wayne Airport as among her main focuses, adding that Sacramento has failed Orange County in its regulation of sober-living homes.
Republican and former Dana Point Mayor Diane Harkey said she got involved with politics after her daughter graduated from high school and went off to college. Harkey said she wants to protect residents from “overreaching” mandates such as a mask or vaccine requirement and likewise called attention to the homeless, mental health, environmental and transportation issues.
Republican Newport Beach Mayor Kevin Muldoon quipped he was likely accompanied in the room that night by half of the former mayors of the city. He noted the Orange County Board of Supervisors has a direct impact on crime and homelessness, which Muldoon considers to be a bipartisan issue.
Swallow, representing Bates, said her candidate agrees with the need to restore local control, saying that what worked for Sacramento didn’t necessarily work in Orange County and what didn’t work in Orange County didn’t work in San Francisco. Issues Swallow highlighted on Bates’ behalf were homelessness, fighting high taxes, governmental waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars and public safety.
Audience members were given the opportunity to ask questions. Panelists were given the choice to answer or not answer at their discretion. They were asked if they believed President Joe Biden was the duly-elected president of the United States, if all the candidates are vaccinated and whether or not they all received their booster shots, and if they believe women deserve full autonomy over their bodies.
Other questions focused on more local issues: the proposed lowering of work hours to 32 from 40, canditates’ personal efforts to address homelessness outside of committees and boards, their feelings on the decriminalization of stealing merchandise valued at $950 or less, and how they feel about the potential expansion of John Wayne Airport’s runway or airport at-large.
The primary will be held June 7 with the last day to register to vote on May 23. A video of the forum is available at speakupnewport.com/meet-the-candidates-2022.
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