Newport Mayor to Run for State Assembly

Keith Curry, mayor of Newport Beach, announced Thursday morning he will run for state Assembly in 2014.

Curry, a Republican, made the formal announcement to run for the 74th Assembly District at the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce's WAKE UP! Newport meeting. Assemblyman Allan Mansoor (R-Costa Mesa) currently holds the seat for the 74th Assembly District, but he has plans to vacate it as he runs for the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

"Being on the city council has prepared me to work together to create a consensus and find solutions that work for real people," Curry said. "Being on a city council is about solving problems not seeking partisan advantage. I want to bring that approach to Sacramento."

At the meeting, chamber president and CEO Steve Rosanksy, lent his support to Curry.

"I am publically endorsing Keith Curry for state Assembly," Rosansky said. "This is an exciting announcement."

Curry was appointed to the Newport Beach City Council in 2006 and will be termed out in 2016. He is the director of the Center for Public Policy at Concordia University, where he also teaches public police and leadership courses.

Curry served for five years in the Ronald Reagan administration as the Special Assistant to the Federal Transit Administrator, and prior to that as a Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum. In 2011, he led the efforts to create a Ronald Reagan Centennial Memorial in Newport Beach.

Curry was also chosen by his fellow elected officials to be the president of the Association of California Cities Orange County, president of the Orange County Division of the League of Cities and president of the Orange County Parks Commission.

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