Stoaks holds slight lead over Duffield in Newport council race as Brenner beats Peotter; Dixon and Muldoon reelected

By Hillary DavisStaff Writer

Nov. 7, 2018 3:50 PM PT

Tim Stoaks maintained a slight lead over incumbent Marshall “Duffy” Duffield in Newport Beach’s District 3 City Council race Wednesday and retained his optimism.

Stoaks held a 1.2-percentage-point, or 280-vote, advantage and was in position to join his ally Joy Brenner, who defeated District 6 incumbent Scott Peotter in Tuesday’s voting.

Upbeat after a meeting Wednesday with fellow community activists concerned about the noise impacts of John Wayne Airport, Stoaks said he’s proud of his support team for helping him secure votes.

“Right now, 12,002 people believed in me,” he said.

That number changed slightly later in the day and could change again, as about 420,000 ballots were left to be tabulated countywide, according to the Orange County registrar of voters office. The next update is scheduled for Thursday evening.

Brenner, who held a lead of 15 percentage points over Peotter, attributed her success to a widespread grassroots effort. Newport council members represent districts of the city but are elected at large.

“People responded to the positive message,” said Brenner, a Corona del Mar community activist and former city parks commissioner. “It makes me feel great about our citizens and our community.”

She also said last year’s attempt to recall Peotter, though unsuccessful, gave her council bid momentum.

Brenner said she looks forward to collaborating with her new colleagues and setting a transparent environment that values residents as partners.

“The first thing I want to do is open the doors and windows,” she said.

Peotter said he was disappointed but that he had expected a tough race. He said he plans to spend more time on his architecture consulting business.

“The people have chosen,” he said. “That’s what elections are for.”

Dixon and Muldoon win reelection

Incumbents Diane Dixon and Kevin Muldoon had commanding triumphs over their challengers in Districts 1 and 4, respectively.

Muldoon, who defeated parks commissioner Roy Englebrecht by a margin of about 2 to 1, said he plans to continue to focus on John Wayne Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration, among other topics.

“The residents of Newport Beach expect civility and want us to continue to focus on fiscal responsibility, public safety and airport concerns,” Muldoon said.

Dixon noted a positive tone as she campaigned door to door in the Lido Isle and Balboa Peninsula neighborhoods and elsewhere around Newport.

Despite the rancor around and within the City Council in the past several months — such as the acrimony and suspicion about the early departure of popular City Manager Dave Kiff — she said she found warm, neighborly feedback, with no mention of recent local dramas.

“People would say, ‘I live in paradise; keep it up,’” she said.

Dixon ran unopposed in 2014. This year, she took 60% of the vote against community activist Mike Glenn.

“I was glad to flex the muscles and earn my place on the dais,” Dixon said. “To serve the people of Newport Beach is a great honor and a privilege.”