Newport council members are off and running in fundraising for next elections

The first campaign finance reports of 2017 show that most of the seven Newport Beach City Council members already have raised thousands of dollars toward possible re-election runs, whether the vote is next year or three years away.

Statements for the period between Jan. 1 and June 30 show that all four council members whose current terms expire in 2018 have set up committees for re-election, and, except for Mayor Pro Tem Marshall “Duffy” Duffield, are putting cash in the bank.

Three other people also have set up 2018 committees but did not raise new funds.

Those who have registered campaigns for seats up for election next year:

District 1

Diane Dixon (incumbent)

• Contributions received: $15,469
• Expenditures made: $5,178
• Beginning cash balance: $162
• Ending cash balance: $10,472 (includes $19 in “miscellaneous increases to cash”)

Dixon received three donations of $1,100, the maximum allowed: one each from Government Solutions, KCN A Management and Shopoff Land Fund II, though she refunded $249 of developer Shopoff’s contribution. Most donations were monetary, but there was an in-kind contribution of about $500 from the Irvine Co. for food for an event. Dixon also made $1,500 in loans to herself during the period.

Shopoff is connected to the Uptown Newport mixed-use project along Jamboree Road near John Wayne Airport.

Joe Stapleton

• Contributions received: None
• Expenditures made: $500
• Beginning cash balance: $15,746
• Ending cash balance: $15,246

Stapleton, currently a city Finance Committee member, rolled over cash from his 2014 council bid. He said he supports Dixon and won’t run as long as she is seeking a second term.

District 3

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield (incumbent)

• Contributions received: None
• Expenditures made: $4,002
• Beginning cash balance: $25,454
• Ending cash balance: $22,132

Duffield raised no money during the period, though he had $680 in “miscellaneous increases to cash.”

District 4

Kevin Muldoon (incumbent)

• Contributions received: $7,197
• Expenditures made: $2,178
• Beginning cash balance: $12,654
• Ending cash balance: $17,673

Trash and recycling hauler Athens Services was Muldoon’s single largest contributor, with $1,100.

Roy Englebrecht

• Contributions received: None
• Expenditures made: None
• Beginning cash balance: None
• Ending cash balance: None

Englebrecht is currently a member of the city Parks, Beaches & Recreation Commission.

District 6

Scott Peotter (incumbent)

• Contributions received: $32,380
• Expenditures made: $4,975
• Beginning cash balance: $580
• Ending cash balance: $27,985

Peotter — who is being targeted for recall over opponents’ objections to his behavior and policies, including his vote for the since-scuttled Museum House high-rise condominium tower — raised the most money during the period. Most of it was from individuals giving relatively small amounts, but he also received 14 donations of $1,100 each. One of them was from Greg Pappas, co-owner of the popular Balboa Peninsula restaurant Woody’s Wharf.

Woody’s Wharf’s four owners donated $1,100 each to Peotter’s 2014 campaign. Peotter also received an $1,100 donation from Woody’s Wharf as an entity, which the city clerk said violated the limit for campaign contributions because contributions from the owners and the restaurant were attributable to the same people. At around the same time, Woody’s was fighting the city in court over dancing and extended hours.

Jeff Herdman, who is now a councilman, filed a complaint with the California Fair Political Practices Commission alleging violations of the Political Reform Act after Peotter did not report refunding the restaurant contribution, although Peotter showed the Daily Pilot a copy of a check showing that he had.

Mike Toerge

• Contributions received: None
• Expenditures made: $50
• Beginning cash balance: $7,148
• Ending cash balance: $7,098

Toerge, a supporter of the effort to recall Peotter, rolled over cash from his 2014 council bid.

2020 races

Council members Brad Avery (District 2), Jeff Herdman (District 5) and Will O’Neill (District 7), who were elected in 2016, have started accumulating cash for potential 2020 re-election bids.

Avery raised $10,000 during the first half of this year and had $16,322 on hand as of June 30.

Herdman collected $5,742 and had $3,572 on hand.

O’Neill raised $10,000 and had $21,227 on hand.

As yet, they have no announced challengers.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD