Diane Dixon far ahead in fundraising among Newport City Council candidates

Campaign finance reports from the second half of 2017 show Councilwoman Diane Dixon far outpacing her fellow candidates in fundraising for this year’s Newport Beach City Council election.

Statements for the period between July 1 and Dec. 31 show that most of the incumbents and challengers for the four seats up for election in November put cash in the bank.

Dixon, who is running for her second term representing the Balboa Peninsula, led them all, collecting more than $45,000.

Here is the candidates’ fundraising activity so far, rounded to the nearest dollar:

District 1

Diane Dixon (incumbent)

• Contributions received, July-December: $45,204
• Contributions received, full year: $74,173
• Expenditures made, July-December: $13,570
• Expenditures made, full year: $18,748
• Beginning cash balance, July: $10,473
• Ending cash balance, December: $43,774

Dixon collected 110 monetary donations in the July-December period, mostly from individuals. Top donors included peninsula restaurateurs Mario Marovic (Stag Bar + Kitchen, among others), Ron Salisbury (the Cannery) and Jim Ulcickas (Bluewater Grill), who gave $1,100 each. Newport-based real estate investor the Curci Cos. and three of its executives gave a combined $3,000 during the period.

No other candidates have filed for the District 1 seat.

District 3

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield (incumbent)

• Contributions received, July-December: None
• Contributions received, full year: None
• Expenditures made, July-December: $109
• Expenditures made, full year: $4,111
• Beginning cash balance, July: $22,132
• Ending cash balance, December: $22,023

Duffield, the current mayor, is the only candidate who has filed for the District 3 seat.

District 4

Kevin Muldoon (incumbent)

• Contributions received, July-December: $3,287
• Contributions received, full year: $19,484
• Expenditures made, July-December: $1,114
• Expenditures made, full year: $3,292
• Beginning cash balance, July: $17,674
• Ending cash balance, December: $19,847

Muldoon collected 10 monetary donations in the July-December period. His top donor was the Orange County Business Council’s BIZPAC, which gave $1,000.

Roy Englebrecht

• Contributions received, July-December: $5,250
• Contributions received, full year: $5,250
• Expenditures made, July-December: $1,074
• Expenditures made, full year: $1,074
• Beginning cash balance, July: None
• Ending cash balance, December: $4,176

Fight promoter Englebrecht, who is currently a member of the city Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission, seeded his campaign with his own money.

Englebrecht also ran in 2014, without fundraising, mailers or campaign signs, but he said he plans to change that this time. He announced his latest candidacy earlier this year.

District 6

Scott Peotter (incumbent)

• Contributions received, July-December: $15,725
• Contributions received, full year: $48,106
• Expenditures made, July-December: $32,301
• Expenditures made, full year: $37,276
• Beginning cash balance, July: $27,987
• Ending cash balance, December: $11,411

Peotter collected 50 monetary donations in the July-December period. Top donors included Pinpoint Media, Corona del Mar restaurant Rose Bakery Cafe and real estate executives Edward Hanley and Mark Hillgren. All gave $1,100 each.

Peotter faced the threat of a recall last year, but the Orange County registrar of voters determined that recall organizers did not submit enough valid petition signatures to force a special recall election.

Joy Brenner

• Contributions received, July-December: $2,500
• Contributions received, full year: $2,500
• Expenditures made, July-December: $2,070
• Expenditures made, full year: $2,070
• Beginning cash balance, July: None
• Ending cash balance, December: $430

Brenner, who was active in the recall effort against Peotter and planned to run against him in case of a special election, launched her campaign for November with a $2,000 loan to herself.

Mike Toerge

• Contributions received, July-December: None
• Contributions received, full year: None
• Expenditures made, July-December: $4,000
• Expenditures made, full year: $4,050
• Beginning cash balance, July: $7,099
• Ending cash balance, December: $3,099

Toerge, a former city planning commissioner, ran against Peotter in 2014. His only activity in the July-December period was a $4,000 loan to the Committee to Recall Scott Peotter.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD