“My opponent, Katrina Foley, ran on a platform of reducing homelessness and fighting crime, yet homelessness and crime are both higher today than when she took office,” said Dixon.
Assemblywoman Diane Dixon just notched a meaningful early advantage in her bid for Orange County’s Fifth Supervisorial District. Last week, Dixon announced that she outraised incumbent Supervisor Katrina Foley during the most recent fundraising reporting period. From July 1 through December 31, 2025, Dixon brought in $202,793, compared to Foley’s $149,206.
The news came mere days after Dixon announced that she had secured the endorsement of a majority of Mayors representing cities in the Fifth District: that majority consisting of the Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano Mayors.
“I’m grateful for the outpouring of support and the broad coalition that has united to ensure there’s real change for our county,” said Dixon. “The stakes have never been higher for Orange County families, and I’m looking forward to running a strong campaign to ensure voters know that change is coming and that I’ll stand up and fight to address the growing affordability crisis.”
Dixon’s press release also calls out Foley for producing “low fundraising figures coupled with [a] high burn rate—spending nearly $200,000 in 2025.”
As of the time of writing, Foley has not publicly responded to this development.
Dixon has consistently proven herself to be a strong fundraiser. When she first ran for the State Assembly in 2020, Dixon raised more than half a million dollars in less than three months, making her the best-funded challenger to an incumbent anywhere in California that cycle.
“Diane will be an excellent addition to the OC Board of Supervisors!” Orange County realtor Kelly Trubeville commented in response to the press release on Twitter/X.
Dixon and her supporters believe the Fifth District seat is very much winnable—and that Foley, long considered the most electorally vulnerable member of the Board of Supervisors (based on her District’s strong Republican voter registration advantage), is facing a serious challenge.
But Foley, for her part, remains a formidable political figure with name recognition and a base of support, particularly among progressive and labor-aligned voters. She has not lost an election since 2020, when she ran unsuccessfully for California’s 37th State Senate district. Even then, she faced a challenge from incumbent Republican John Moorlach and viable Democrat challenger Dave Min, who went on to win the seat.
She has yet to lose a race in which she held the advantage of incumbency. Nevertheless, Dixon is undeterred.
“My opponent, Katrina Foley, ran on a platform of reducing homelessness and fighting crime, yet homelessness and crime are both higher today than when she took office,” said Dixon. “It’s time for a new approach and new ideas.”
Foley has sat on the Board of Supervisors since 2021, first representing the Second District before district lines were redrawn later that year. In 2022, Foley was forced to run for the Fifth District against former State Senator Pat Bates—a race which Foley won by less than three percentage points. Nevertheless, it was an impressive victory which proved that Republican voter registration advantage alone will not decide the fate of the Fifth.
Both candidates boast an impressive slate of endorsements from prominent elected officials, community leaders, and organizations. And, regardless of who wins, it is expected to be a hard-fought battle.
Orange County’s Fifth Supervisorial District spans a large swath of South County and the coast, covering a mix of established beach communities, master-planned suburbs, and unincorporated areas. It includes all or portions of cities such as Irvine, Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Laguna Beach, Dana Point, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano, along with inland communities like Aliso Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, and Laguna Woods. The district also takes in several unincorporated and master-planned areas, including Coto de Caza, Ladera Ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo, Las Flores, and Emerald Bay.
Add Comment