Diane L. Harkey

• Biography:

  Harkey, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, graduating Cum Laude from the University of California, Irvine, has enjoyed a successful career spanning 30 years in Banking and Corporate Finance. Diane has been actively involved with political issues throughout most of her adult life. Appointed by the County to the Architectural Review Board in 1987, she began working actively with the County for Dana Point's incorporation in 1989. Since then, Diane has been a part of countless campaigns for city, county, state and national candidates and initiatives.

  In 2006, due to a vacancy created by former State Senator John Campbell’s successful bid for Congress, Diane, a first-term councilwoman, ran an aggressive campaign in a special election open primary against a sitting State Legislator. Despite a narrow loss of 225 votes, Harkey earned the respect of Republican leaders across Orange County.

  As a member of the Dana Point City Council and as Mayor, Diane worked to implement a balanced budget and a reserve policy for the City. She also championed efforts to reform government by promoting business development, encouraging regional cooperation and joint-use options to save taxpayer dollars, increasing citizen involvement by promoting new candidates for political office, and working towards common sense solutions to growth and development.