Newport Beach City Council Chambers — Location of Newport Beach Council Race
Newport Beach’s four open City Council seats are drawing serious money, and newly released campaign disclosure forms show just how unevenly it’s flowing. District 3 candidate Walter Stahr has collected more than $215,000 in contributions this year and already spent nearly $60,000, while District 1 incumbent Joe Stapleton’s campaign reported raising just under $80,000 in 2026 despite an earlier announcement of a much larger haul. Eight candidates in all are vying for four seats across four districts, with the races set to appear on a separate statewide ballot on Nov. 3.
The latest numbers, covering filings released Sept. 24, come from the Los Angeles Times, which reported that Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6 are up for grabs this cycle. Newport Beach uses a hybrid system in which district council seats are elected citywide, meaning every voter in the city will weigh in on all four contests even though candidates run within specific districts.
Stapleton’s Big Number Gets Complicated
Stapleton, who represents District 1, covering the Balboa Peninsula and West Newport, made headlines in June when his campaign announced a “record-breaking” fundraising total topping $380,000, according to the same Times report. But the newly filed disclosures tell a narrower story for this calendar year alone: just under $80,000 raised in 2026, including $9,600 collected between July 1 and Sept. 19. His campaign reported about $190,000 remaining in the bank as of that September date…