Quick Take
A key pre-election campaign finance reporting deadline on Thursday revealed that the biggest players in America’s soft drink industry, including the parent companies of Coke, Pepsi, Dr Pepper and Red Bull, have donated nearly $1 million to defeat a city of Santa Cruz ballot measure this fall that would enact a special tax on sugary drinks.
As many expected, the big foot of Big Soda has stomped into this year’s local election cycle.
A Thursday campaign-finance filing deadline showed that the Campaign for an Affordable Santa Cruz, the group backed by the monied American Beverage Association and opposing the city of Santa Cruz’s sugary drink tax, had raised $850,000 and spent roughly $765,000 as of Sept. 21.
All it took was a single day and four contributions for the anti-Measure Z campaign to bring in nearly a million dollars. On Aug. 2, the Coca-Cola Company, Keurig Dr. Pepper, PepsiCo and Red Bull North America answered the call, with donations ranging from nearly $400,000 to around $14,000.
The Committee for a Healthier Santa Cruz, the group backing Measure Z’s soda tax and led by Santa Cruz City Councilmembers Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Martine Watkins, had raised only $15,693, through 42 separate contributions from local politicos and organizations such as former supervisor Ryan Coonerty, state Sen. John Laird, developer Owen Lawlor, Santa Cruz Mayor Fred Keeley, Dientes Community Dental Care and Democratic Central Committee Chair Andrew Goldenkranz. However, the campaign has spent $34,247, more than double the amount it has raised. The bulk of its expenses has been a single bill of more than $26,150 to political consultant TeamCivX. Treasurer Jordan Eldridge told Lookout the group expects more donations to come in.
With about six weeks left before the Nov. 5 vote, Thursday marked a key filing deadline for campaign contribution disclosures in the 2024 general election.
Following the 5 p.m. Thursday deadline, here’s what we can immediately glean about how money has moved through our local elections. Lookout has chosen to first look at campaigns for Measure Z, the two county supervisor seats, three city council races and water-and-wildfire Measure Q as the more high-profile races this fall.
The listed amounts solely include cash contributions from individual donors. They do not factor in loans that the committees received, nor do they reflect non-monetary contributions that the committees received or cash spent thus far.
Santa Cruz County supervisor District 2
In the District 2 race, Pajaro Valley Unified School District trustee Kim De Serpa has comfortably outraised her opponent, Capitola Mayor Kristen Brown, by nearly $30,000 since the start of the campaign last summer, $103,632 to $74,622. In the latest round of fundraising, from July 1 to Sept. 21, De Serpa pulled in $31,458 to Brown’s $20,321. De Serpa has earned financial support from a number of notable names, such as former District 2 Supervisor Ellen Pirie ($800 to date), tech evangelist Guy Kawasaki ($1,050 to date), Gayle and Joe Ortiz, owners of Gayle’s Bakery (a combined $1,100 to date), and Julie Packard ($550). De Serpa has also received a total of $1,075 from Aptos resident Robert Claassen, who owns a home along the coast, and $100 from Steve Forer, president of the Coastal Property Owners Association of Santa Cruz County.
Brown has received support from local politicos such as District 4 Supervisor Felipe Hernandez ($1,050 to date), Santa Cruz City Councilmember Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson ($100), the DCC’s Goldenkranz ($200 to date) and Watsonville City Council candidate Trina Coffman-Gomez ($100). Brown has also received support from Charles Wilcox and Kelly Dillon, owners of Marianne’s Ice Cream ($1,050 combined), and the Service Employees International Union Local 2015 ($2,000 to date).
Santa Cruz County supervisor District 5
Christopher Bradford had his most lucrative fundraising round, receiving $11,924 from 86 contributions, largely from within the district. Notable donors include Mountain Charlie Road resident Kathy Goudarzi ($400) and Bruce Holloway ($550 to date), a candidate in the San Lorenzo Valley Water District election who made headlines earlier this year for suing the county over how it planned to spend revenue from a sales tax increase.
His District 5 opponent, nonprofit executive Monica Martinez, has steadily out-raised Bradford since the campaigns kicked off last year. Martinez has raised nearly $101,000 as of Sept 21, to Bradford’s $30,088. Martinez has received support from a number of well-known local politicians, including outgoing District 5 Supervisor Bruce McPherson ($250 to date), incumbent Scotts Valley City Councilmember Donna Lind ($200 to date), former supervisors Coonerty ($150 to date) and Mark Stone ($400 to date). SEIU 521 has also contributed $1,000 in cash to Martinez’s campaign, so far.
Santa Cruz County Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative
Yes on Q, the committee in favor of the Santa Cruz County Water and Wildfire Protection Initiative, has seen large donations flow in since the campaign’s launch in October 2023. Those have mostly come from land trusts and conservation organizations. Notable donors include Land Trust Santa Cruz County, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Sempervirens Fund, Chicago-based Trust for Public Land, San Francisco-based Save the Redwoods League, County Park Friends Santa Cruz and Land Trust Santa Cruz County executive director Sarah Newkirk.
There was no filing activity from opponents.
Capitola City Council
Enrique Dolmo Jr. and Margaux Morgan did not file a Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 460 by publication time.
Gerry Jensen’s notable donors include District 1 County Supervisor Manu Koenig, Soquel Creek Water District Director Carla Christensen, Capitola Beach Company owners Jill and Matt Arthur, Mijo’s Taqueria owner Anthony Guajardo, Capitola Candy Company owner Rodney Wartzok, Lanai Financial Solutions advisor Gennifer Jensen, Kellison Company consultant Peter Kellison, Shadowbrook restaurant owner Ted Burke, Strock Real Estate agent Benjamin Strock and Gayle’s Bakery owners Gayle and Joseph Ortiz.
Melinda Orbach’s notable donors include Salud y Cariño executive director Theresa Cariño, City of Watsonville Principal Planner Matthew Orbach, Capitola Vice Mayor Yvette Brooks, Santa Cruz City Schools board trustee Kyle Kelley, Democratic Central Committee chair Andrew Goldenkranz and District 2 county supervisor candidate Kristen Brown.
Scotts Valley City Council
John Lewis, Krista Jett and Mercedes Molloy did not file a FPPC 460 by publication time.
Only just over $3,700 has come in across all four candidates who have filed FPPC 460s. Corky Roberson leads all candidates with $1,337 raised, with that money coming from “14 contributions less than $100.” Scotts Valley City Councilmember Jack Dilles donated to Steve Clark.
Watsonville City Council, District 6
Jimmy Dutra’s notable donors include Imura Sushi owner Jee Kajihara, Greenhouse System USA owner Peter Fryn, Scurich Berry Farms CEO Dane Scurich, Shadowbrook restaurant owner Ted Burke, Pajaro Valley Unified School District administrator and former Watsonville City Council candidate Nancy Bilicich and Guaranteed Rate loan officer Dimitri Timm.
All of Dutra’s donations came prior to Sept. 17, when a Santa Cruz Superior Court jury found him liable in a civil child sexual abuse case. Castillo’s Shotokan Karate owner Fred Castillo made a donation on Sept. 17.
Trina Coffman-Gomez’s notable donors include Pajaro Valley Printing manager Dan Carrillo, Oaktree Property Company chief financial officer Christopher Codiga, construction project development and management firm CDM/Crocker-Fry and Santa Cruz County Bank commercial lender Irma Freeman.
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