Assemblymember Diane Dixon is seeking reelection in the coastal 72nd Assembly District, where she is up against Dom Jones, a political newcomer.
Elected to the Assembly in 2022, Dixon previously served on the Newport Beach City Council as both a mayor and council member. In the Assembly, she is the vice chair of the Judiciary Committee.
During her first term, Dixon, a Republican, has pushed for greater penalties for ghost guns, a less punitive approach to expired vehicle registrations and more transparency in regulating addiction treatment and rehabilitation facilities.
Jones grew up in Compton, where, she says in her biography on her campaign website, she experienced poverty and homelessness. She’s a community leader and co-founder of DemocraShe, a nonprofit that promotes gender equality and women’s rights.
Dixon and Jones have different visions regarding the proposition to raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026, which would make it the highest in the nation.
Dixon, in a questionnaire posed by the Orange County Register, said increasing the minimum wage will worsen the situation for Californians dealing with difficult economic conditions and high inflation rates.
“We have already seen the effects of raising the minimum wage with the implementation of the law that increased fast food wages earlier this year,” she said. “Here were the disastrous consequences: Reduced job opportunities as businesses have laid off employees in favor of lower-wage options, including computer automation; higher unemployment rates across the industry; shuttered businesses that can’t afford the higher costs; fewer consumer choices; employee benefits being cut to offset the higher wages; and increased prices.”
Jones, however, said increasing the minimum wage is a “necessary step” to ensure that Californians can afford the rising cost of living.
“An increased minimum wage will not only help alleviate the financial pressures on working families but also stimulate local economies by boosting consumer spending,” the Huntington Beach Democrat said.
The candidates are generally in agreement when it comes to measures the state could take to avoid a large budget deficit. This year, California faced a multibillion-dollar budget deficit that limited lawmakers’ ability to fund various programs and projects.
Both candidates said the state should prioritize replenishing the rainy day fund.
“This fund should be supplemented during periods of economic growth and surplus, ensuring that we have a financial cushion when the economy contracts,” said Jones.
Said Dixon, “Our tax base is fleeing California and our spending is rising. The fact of the matter is: the state’s budget is bloated and is in dire need of restructuring.”
They also agree that there should be greater transparency regarding how the state government spends money.
“The state should implement more stringent fiscal discipline by conducting regular audits of existing programs to identify inefficiencies and reduce unnecessary spending,” Jones said.
For Dixon, this means greater accountability in homelessness spending. Earlier this year, an audit of the state’s homelessness spending revealed that the state did not properly track the outcomes of its homelessness programs, despite spending $24 billion to address the issue.
“Shockingly, very little information was documented on where the money was spent. No transparency. No accountability. Unacceptable,” said Dixon.
AD-72 includes Aliso Viejo, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest and Newport Beach. According to state data, Republicans account for 39.5% of all the registered voters in the district, while 32.7% are Democrats and 21% are no party preference voters.
It was only Dixon and Jones in the primary; then, 60.9% of voters backed Dixon, while 39.1% went for Jones.
Find out more about Dixon and Jones — and other candidates on your ballot — with the Register’s Voter Guide. Both candidates were sent questionnaires and in their own words, detailed their plans on various issues, from artificial intelligence to the state’s minimum wage and from the state budget to bond measures. You can also find what’s on their playlists as they’re on the campaign trail.
