|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
The second pre-election campaign finance filing deadline for candidates running for local office in California was Thursday, Oct. 27, giving the public insight into who’s donating to local politicians and how they’re spending that money.
Incumbent Mountain View City Council member Ellen Kamei currently leads the pack for total donations raised, about $33,800 total, as well as the most money brought in during the recent filing period from Sept. 25 to Oct. 22, at $5,200.
Kamei’s recent donors include a handful of individual community members; Emily Beach for Burlingame City Council 2019 ($350); Santa Clara & San Benito Counties Building & Construction Trades Council PAC ($250); Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 104 Political Committee ($1,000); Laborers Local Union 270 PAC ($500); Northern California Carpenters Regional Council Small Contributor Committee ($1,000); Josh Becker for Senate 2024 ($125); and the California Real Estate PAC ($1,000).
In the previous filing period, Kamei also brought in $1,000 donations from Foothill-De Anza Community College District Trustee Gilbert Wong, Santa Clara Valley Water District Director Gary Kremen, the IBEW 332 Education Fund, the Plumbers, Steamfitters and Refrigeration Fitters union, and the Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965.
Since Sept. 25, Kamei has spent just more than $12,800 on campaign literature, print advertising and postage.
Incumbent Mayor Lucas Ramirez has brought in $30,100 total this calendar year. In the last filing period he reported about $2,400 in new donations, which came from a few local residents; the Santa Clara and San Benito Counties Building and Construction Trades Council PAC ($250); the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council Small Contributor Committee ($1,000); the Peninsula Democratic Coalition ($200); and Josh Becker for Senate 2024 ($125).
In the previous filing period, Ramirez’s biggest contributors included $1,000 donations from local unions including the IBEW Education Fund and the Plumbers, Steamfitters and Refrigeration Fitters Local 393 PAC Fund. Since Sept. 25, Ramirez has spent about $9,900, mostly on campaign literature.
Incumbent Vice Mayor Alison Hicks has raised about $23,500 this year, $2,880 of which came in during the last filing period. Her new contributors include a handful of community members; Democratic Activists for Women Now ($500); Josh Becker for Senate 2024 ($125); and the Northern California Carpenters Regional Small Contributor Committee ($1,000).
In the previous filing period, Hicks reported $1,000 donations from Santa Clara County Water Commissioner Kremen, the IBEW 332 Education Fund, Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965 and the Plumbers and Steamfitters and Refrigeration Fitters Local 393 PAC. Hicks spent about $9,850 since Sept. 25 on print ads and voter registration data.
While newcomer Li Zhang comes in fourth for overall money raised (about $12,000), during the last filing period alone she outraised everyone except Kamei, bringing in about $4,200. Nearly all her recent contributions came from individual community members, with the exception of $300 from the API Empowerment PAC. During the previous filing period, she received donations from community members and one $1,000 contribution from Mountain View Professional Firefighters Local 1965.
Zhang spent close to $8,200 last filing period, namely on website fees, campaign literature, postage and voter registration data.
Fellow newcomer Justin Cohen filed a 470 form, meaning he anticipates that he’ll receive less than $2,000 and will spend less than $2,000 on his campaign during the calendar year.
All five candidates have accepted this year’s voluntary expenditure limit of $28,744 which aims to limit the amount of money influencing the election. Those who don’t accept the limit are subject to tighter campaign contribution restrictions. In recent election years, all candidates have accepted the limit.
