Planning Commissioner Erik Weigand Seeks Spot for Newport Council District 3

Newport Beach Planning Commissioner Erik Weigand is seeking to replace termed-out City Councilman Marshall Duffield in the city’s Nov. 8 election.

The race in District 3 encompasses neighborhoods surrounding upper Newport Bay.

Weigand is currently the only candidate who has all seven councilmembers’ support, after working in various governmental capacities including at the federal, state, county, and local levels, and is currently the district director for Sen. Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel).

Newport Beach Planning Commissioner Erik Weigand in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2022. (Hau Nguyen/The Epoch Times)

“I think I’m a superior candidate based on my background and my understanding of local and regional governance,” Weigand told The Epoch Times.

If elected, Weigand says his first steps in office would be familiarizing himself with the needs of the city and working closely with city employees.

I want to “give them all the support they need and say, I’m looking to help make your job easier and help give you the resources available to run an efficient city,” he said.

Weigand also said he would ensure the city’s large budget is well-allocated, especially in terms of public security.

“Our budget is significantly higher than some other cities that are of similar population,” he said. “We want to make sure that our budget is completely funded for our police, fire, and all of our services for public safety.”

Another issue he said he wants to help address is the state’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation plan, requiring nearly 5,000 new housing units to be zoned in the city by 2029.

With the city’s current number of apartments and single-family homes around 37,000, adding an additional 5,000 would be nearly a 13 percent increase in what Weigand calls a city that’s already “built out.”

He said the city must be smart in handling

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