Sylvester, Kuszmaul, Cox lead in Mountain View City Council campaign fundraising

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The Mountain View City Council race is heating up with several candidates neck-and-neck in fundraising as money continues to flow into campaign coffers.

With less than a week until Election Day, IdaRose Sylvester is at the front of the pack, raising more than $36,000 since the start of the year, according to campaign finance disclosures.

James Kuszmaul and Robert Cox are close on Sylvester’s heels, pulling in just under $35,000 each. Paul Donahue is not far behind, raising a little over $32,000, according to campaign finance disclosures.

In the middle of the pack, Erik Poicon and Silja Paymer have raised about $24,000 and $16,000, respectively. Sam Ali and Alex Amoroso are trailing in their fundraising efforts, bringing in roughly $4,600 and $2,500 to their respective coffers, according to campaign finance disclosures.

With money pouring into the race, campaign spending has also taken off. Cox and Kuszmaul have each spent nearly $31,000 since the start of the year.

Sylvester and Donahue have spent about $18,000 and $17,000, respectively. Poicon, Paymer, Ali and Amoroso have more modest expenditures, ranging from roughly $3,700 to $8,700. 

Outside groups throw money into the race

All the candidates agreed to accept the city’s voluntary spending limit of $32,352. However, the spending cap does not include independent expenditures. Outside groups file separate disclosures documenting spending to support or oppose candidates.

This year, several organizations have thrown their weight behind Cox and Donahue. The National Association of Realtors has shelled out nearly $80,000 to support their campaigns. The California Alliance of Family Owned Businesses Political Action Committee has also made large contributions, spending roughly $17,300 on mailers for each candidate, according to recent campaign finance disclosures.

The Peninsula Opportunity Political Action Committee, a group backed by major real estate developers, has funneled money into the campaigns of Cox and Donahue as well, spending approximately $5,700 on each.

The South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, which represents more than 100 unions in Santa Clara and San Benito counties, has dropped nearly $20,000 to support Poicon.

Locally, the Mountain View Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee has put money into the campaigns of Cox, Donahue and Sylvester, spending roughly $3,800 on each.

IdaRose Sylvester

IdaRose Sylvester, who currently serves on the Mountain View Parks and Recreation Commission, has raised roughly $36,300 for her campaign, including $1,000 that she donated to her own campaign. That is the largest haul of all the candidates. Since May, Sylvester has received more than 100 individual contributions from donors, with notable support from local leaders and labor organizations.

Prominent backers include California State Board of Equalization member Sally Lieber ($1,000), state Assemblymember Marc Berman ($250) and Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga ($150). Sylvester also picked up support from Santa Clara County Board of Education trustees Jessica Speiser ($500) and Tara Sreekrishnan ($100). 

Former Mountain View mayors Mike Kasperzak ($250), Ken Rosenberg ($250) and Lenny Siegel ($100) contributed to the campaign as well as Los Altos City Council member Pete Dailey ($250), who is also running for the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board of Directors.

From labor organizations, Sylvester picked up support from United Association Local Union 393 Plumbers, Pipefitters and HVAC/R service technicians ($1,000), North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters ($1,000) and Service Employees International Union Local 521 ($1,000). The Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965 ($1,000) and Santa Clara League of Conservation Voters ($250) also contributed to the campaign.

Other backers include Mountain View Whisman School District trustees Lisa Henry ($500) and Devon Conley ($100) and former Mountain View Whisman School District trustee Laura Blakely ($250). Fellow Mountain View City Council candidate Erik Poicon ($100), Mountain View Environmental Planning Commissioner Emily Hislop ($100) and Mountain View Rental Housing Committee member Alex Brown ($100) contributed to the campaign as well.

Sylvester has spent about $18,200. The bulk of the money has gone towards campaign materials, including lawn and window signs, flyers, mailers and postage as well as voter data.

James Kuszmaul

James Kuszmaul, who currently serves on the Mountain View Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee, is the next largest fundraiser, bringing in roughly $34,700. Kuszmaul partially financed his campaign with a $1,500 loan, as well as donating $200 and making $62.50 in non-monetary contributions, including postage and stationary.

Backers of the campaign include labor organizations like the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 332 ($1,000) and Service Employees International Union Local 521 ($1,000).

Kuszmaul also picked up support from Mountain View Whisman School District trustee Charles DiFazio ($200), Los Altos City Council member and Santa Clara Valley Water District candidate Pete Dailey ($500) and Mountain View Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee member John Stone ($500). Mountain View Visual Arts Committee members Valerie Fenwick ($500) and Jesse Cupp ($100) and Mountain View Rental Housing Committee members Kevin Ma ($200) and Alex Brown ($100) contributed to the campaign as well.

Kuszmaul has spent approximately $30,800, with the largest expenditures going towards mailers, yard signs, campaign flyers and postage.

Robert Cox

Robert Cox, who currently serves on the Mountain View Rental Housing Committee, is neck-to-neck with Kuzmaul, raising roughly $34,600. Cox seeded his campaign with a $10,000 self-financed loan and a $1,000 donation.

Prominent backers for Cox include Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga ($500), Mountain View Council member John McAlister ($100), former Mountain View Mayor Lisa Matichak ($300), and El Camino Healthcare District board member John Zoglin ($250).

Cox also picked up support from the Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965 ($1,000), as well as from Mountain View Environmental Planning Commissioner Hank Dempsey ($250), former Environmental Planning Commissioner Joyce Yin ($300), Palo Alto Manager of Environmental Control Programs Charles Muir ($500), and Mountain View Los Altos High District school board candidate Sanjay Dave ($200).

Cox has spent approximately $30,900 on the campaign. A bulk of the money has gone towards consulting services as well as lawn signs, mailers and social media.

Paul Donahue

Paul Donahue, who currently serves on the Mountain View Environmental Planning Commission, closely follows Cox in fundraising, bringing in roughly $32,200. Donahue seeded his campaign with a $9,000 self-financed loan.

Donahue is backed by the Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965 ($999) and Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters ($250). Labor organizations have contributed to the campaign as well, including the Associated General Contractors Political Action Committee ($1,000) and North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters ($999)

Donahue also picked up support from Santa Clara County Supervisor Margaret Abe-Koga ($500), Santa Clara County Board of Education trustee Jessica Speiser ($250), former Mountain View Mayor Lisa Matichak ($300), and El Camino Healthcare District board member John Zoglin ($250).

Other backers include former Mountain View Whisman School District trustees Steve Nelson ($999) and Laura Blakely ($250) and Mountain View Whisman Principal Megan Pohlman ($100). 

Mountain View Environmental Planning Commissioner Hank Dempsey ($500), Mountain View Downtown Committee member Pamela Baird ($250) and Los Altos City Council member and Santa Clara Valley Water District candidate Pete Dailey ($100) contributed to the campaign as well.

Donahue has spent roughly $17,100, mostly on campaign mailings, literature and paraphernalia.

Erik Poicon

Erik Poicon, who currently serves on the Mountain View Human Relations Committee, has raised nearly $24,400, with notable contributions from labor organizations and local leaders.

Prominent backers include the reelection committees for California assemblymembers Patrick Ahrens ($1,000) and Alex Lee ($1,000), Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong ($1,000), and former Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian ($250).

Poicon also picked up support from multiple labor organizations, including Plumbers, Steamfitters and Refrigeration Filters Local 393 ($1,000), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 332 ($1,000), Santa Clara and San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trades Council ($500), Teamsters California 350 ($500), County Employee Management Association ($500), Service Employees International Union Local 2015 ($1,000) and Local 521 ($1,000) and Cement Masons’ Local 400 ($250). Antonio Lopez ($100) of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council contributed to the campaign as well.

Other backers include Mountain View Los Altos High School District trustee Thida Cornes ($1,000), Mountain View Whisman School District trustees Lisa Henry ($250) and Devon Conley ($100), former Mountain View Whisman trustee Ellen Wheeler ($100), former Palo Alto Unified School District trustee Jennifer DiBrienza ($500) and Cupertino Union School District board member Sylvia Leong ($100).

Poicon also received support from former Mountain View Mayor Mike Kasperzak ($250), Sunnyvale City Council member Richard Mehlinger ($250), fellow Mountain View City Council candidate IdaRose Sylvester ($100), Mountain View Rental Housing Committee members Kevin Ma ($100) and Alex Brown ($100) and Mountain View Visual Arts Committee member Jesse Cupp ($100).

Poicon has spent less than other candidates, roughly $8,500, with most of the money going towards posters, yard signs, door hangars, flyers and canvassing software.

Silja Paymer

Silja Paymer, a Los Altos High School teacher, has amassed roughly $16,100, including $2,000 that she donated to her own campaign.

From labor organizations, Paymer picked up contributions from Plumbers Local 393 ($1,000) and North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters ($1,000). She also received support from the Build Jobs Political Action Committee ($300) and Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters ($250). 

Other backers include Santa Clara County Water District Board Director Rebecca Eisenberg ($100) and Mountain View Whisman School District trustees Lisa Henry ($250) and Charles DiFazio ($200). Mountain View Downtown Committee member Pamela Baird ($300) and Mountain View Rental Housing Committee member Alex Brown ($100) contributed as well.

Paymer has spent roughly $7,700 on the campaign, with most of the money going towards yard signs, printing and voter data.

Sam Ali

Sam Ali, a security specialist, is second to last in fundraising, bringing in roughly $4,600. The vast majority, $4,000, is money that he donated to his own campaign.

Ali has spent nearly $3,700, mostly for yard signs, door hangers and digital advertising as well as on voter data.

Alex Amoroso

Alex Amoroso, a U.S. Army Reserve Officer, trails the pack, sitting at roughly $2,500 raised, including $250 that he donated to his own campaign.

Amoroso has spent nearly $8,700, leaving the campaign $6,200 in the red. The bulk of the expenditures has gone towards campaign worker salaries, yard signs, leaflets and professional services.

Check out the Voice’s 2026 Voter Guide, which includes in-depth coverage of this and other local races and ballot measures.

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