Quick Take
Thursday was the deadline for candidates in the Santa Cruz mayoral and city council races as well as the District 4 county supervisor and superior court judge seats to file their first pre-election campaign finance disclosures of the election cycle. Here’s what they show.
Candidates in the June 2026 primary election filed their first pre-election campaign finance forms on Thursday. Local candidates and ballot measure committees are required to file campaign statements by specific deadlines, disclosing the contributions they have received and the expenditures they have made.
Of those that filed their disclosures by Thursday night, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate and longtime politico Ryan Coonerty’s campaign received by far the largest total donation amount in the most recent fundraising period, at just over $50,000. District 4 county supervisor candidate Tony Nuñez was a distant second, with slightly more than $20,000 raised.
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The reports are filed as Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 460s and apply to all candidates and committees that have raised or spent at least $2,000 in a calendar year.
This first filing covers the period between Jan. 1 and April 18. The next pre-election filing is due on May 21, and covers the period from April 19 and May 16. A semi-annual deadline follows on July 31, and covers the period from May 17 through June 30.
The amounts listed are solely cash contributions from individual donors. They do not include loans or non-monetary contributions, and do not include cash expended so far.
Santa Cruz County Superior Court judge candidate Bryan Hackett told Lookout on Friday that his treasurer filed a disclosure form via email, and the California Secretary of State’s office has confirmed that it received the form. However, the office has not yet uploaded it to its website. Alisa Thomas has not filed a form yet.
Lookout will update this story with more candidate filings as they become available.
District 4 county supervisor
Tony Nuñez has raised $20,022.99 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds CEO Dori Rose Inda, Pajaro Valley Prevention and Student Assistance CEO Jasmine Najera, Santa Cruz Port District Chair Reed Geisreiter, Community Bridges Chief Finance Officer Douglas Underhill, philanthropists Bill and Brigid Simpkins, Low Carbon executive Ed Colligan, former Pajaro Valley Health Care District board member Katie Gabriel-Cox, Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria owners Gayle and Joseph Ortiz, tech entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki, Watsonville High School Principal Joe Gregorio, and Community Foundation Santa Cruz County Communications Coordinator Josue Monroy.
Elias Gonzales has raised $5,878 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include former FoodWhat development director and Santa Cruz City Council candidate Kayla Kumar, Ecology Action program manager and local campaign manager Celeste Gutierrez, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Chris Krohn, and Santa Cruz for Bernie.
Incumbent Felipe Hernandez did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.
Santa Cruz mayor
Ryan Coonerty has raised $50,115 since the start of 2026, by far the most of any local candidate on the ballot. Notable donors include Sempervirens Fund Director of Government Relations Rachel Dann, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s 2024 committee, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Santa Cruz Symphony board president Linda Burroughs, former Scotts Valley city councilmember Jack Dilles, former Santa Cruz mayor Cynthia Mathews, longtime politico and Coonerty’s father, Neal Coonerty, Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, Meta executive and Coonerty’s brother-in-law Michel Protti, Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, NHS owner Richard Novak, former county office of education administrator Carol Polhamus, county analyst Andy Schiffrin, city planning commissioner Pete Kennedy, Santa Cruz City Councilmember Renee Golder, developer Owen Lawlor, former Santa Cruz City councilmember Martine Watkins, Democratic Central Committee member Andrew Goldenkranz, Granite Construction Vice President of Government Affairs Don Roland, Bay Federal Credit Union CEO Carrie Birkhofer, former Scotts Valley city councilmember Jim Reed, Cushman and Wakefield managing director Reuben Helick, Lincoln, Nebraska, mayor Leirion Baird, and Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read’s committee Friends of Tobias Read.
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Ami Chen Mills has raised $6,664 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Harm Reduction Coalition services coordinator Denise Elerick, Campaign for Sustainable Transportation co-chair Rick Longinotti and local activist Jasmeen Miah.
Chris Krohn has raised $5,652 since the start of the year. Early Santa Cruz for Bernie member and co-founder Jeffrey Smedberg is a notable donor.
Gillian Greensite has raised $4,689 since the start of 2026. Housing activist and emeritus UC Santa Cruz sociologist John Hall is a notable donor.
Joy Schendledecker has raised $2,650 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include housing activist and emeritus UC Santa Cruz sociologist John Hall, local activist Jasmeen Miah and Santa Cruz for Bernie.
Santa Cruz City Council District 4
Scott Newsome has raised $5,738 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Ryan Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, city planning commissioner Pete Kennedy, Democratic Central Committee member Andrew Goldenkranz and the Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County.
Hector Marin did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.
Santa Cruz City Council District 6
Renee Golder has raised $11,659 since the start of 2026. Notable donors include Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson’s 2024 committee, Santa Cruz mayoral candidate Ryan Coonerty, developer Owen Lawlor, former county office of education administrator Carol Polhamus, longtime commercial real estate agent William Ow, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, former Santa Cruz mayor Cynthia Mathews, Play Bigger CEO and Save West Cliff founder Al Ramadan, Bookshop Santa Cruz owner and Ryan Coonerty’s sister, Casey Protti, and Pacific Wave Surf Shop.
Gabriella Noack did not file a disclosure form by Thursday night.
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated with information about Santa Cruz Superior Court Judge candidate Bryan Hackett’s campaign finance disclosure form.
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