Candidates and groups spent $956,000 on 2018 Newport council election

Candidates and political action groups spent close to $1 million combined in the run-up to the 2018 Newport Beach City Council election.

Eight candidates and the five PACs that supported or opposed them spent $956,000 in the race to fill four council seats, according to campaign finance filings from 2015 to December 2018.

Campaigns ranged from shoestring, such as District 1 challenger Mike Glenn spending so little that he didn’t have to report his fundraising, to the more than $195,000 that District 3 incumbent Marshall “Duffy” Duffield spent on his razor-thin victory over challenger Tim Stoaks.

The bulk of expenses went toward typical campaign trappings such as mailers, signs, newspaper and online advertising and campaign consultants.

The total does not include costs associated with a District 3 recount effort that maintained Duffield’s 36-vote margin of victory.

Here is the spending for all the candidates and political action groups, rounded to the nearest dollar:

District 1

Diane Dixon (incumbent; winner)

• 2015: $23,254
• 2016: $9,946
• 2017: $18,748
• 2018: $98,022
• Total: $149,970

Mike Glenn

Glenn did not file fundraising statements. He previously said he raised and spent less than $1,000 on his campaign, below the $2,000 threshold to formally report fundraising.

District 3

Marshall “Duffy” Duffield (incumbent; winner)

• 2015: $8,410
• 2016: $3,893
• 2017: $4,111
• 2018: $179,050
• Total: $195,464

Tim Stoaks

• 2018: $37,868

Stoaks declared his candidacy in early 2018, limiting his fundraising and spending to less than a year.

District 4

Kevin Muldoon (incumbent; winner)

• 2015: $2,793
• 2016: $4,273
• 2017: $3,292
• 2018: $72,692
• Total: $83,050

Roy Englebrecht

• 2017: $1,074
• 2018: $13,701
• Total: $14,775

District 6

Joy Brenner (winner)

• 2017: $2,070
• 2018: $70,109
• Total: $72,179

Scott Peotter (incumbent)

• 2015: $14,744
• 2016: $6,824
• 2017: $37,276
• 2018: $78,095
• Total: $136,939

PACs

All expenses were incurred in 2018. Most of the funds were spent on mailers.

Taxpayers and Residents United for Newport Beach: $70,782

This group formed to oppose Peotter and Duffield.

Taxpayers and Residents for Preserving the Quality of Life in Newport Beach: $88,452

This group, founded in defense of Peotter during an unsuccessful attempt to recall him in 2017, shifted focus to support Peotter, Duffield and Muldoon in the general election. These expenses are for the general election, including mailers supporting the incumbents and opposing Brenner.

Line in the Sand: $42,631

Line in the Sand is a political affiliate of the nonprofit activist group Still Protecting Our Newport, which generally supports environmental causes and often opposes development projects. These expenses are identified as being on behalf of its endorsed candidates Stoaks, Englebrecht and Brenner.

Newport Beach Firefighters Assn.: $19,835

The firefighters union backed Dixon, Muldoon and Duffield.

Newport Beach Police Employees Assn.: $44,640

The police union backed Dixon, Duffield, Muldoon and Peotter.