Quick Take
First reports on the races for Santa Cruz mayor, 3rd and 4th District County Supervisor and state Assembly Districts 28 and 30, plus local city councils and ballot measures, are telling as to who might have an advantage in spending as the November campaigns speed up. Here, Lookout begins to track all the local races.
The first pre-election fundraising numbers since the June 7 primary are out for Santa Cruz County, and they show what could be key edges in fundraising. Those numbers, shown in graphs below, display the amount each candidate or ballot measure committee raised in the period from July 1 through Sept. 24. The next report, covering the period Sept. 25 to Oct. 22, is due Oct. 27.
In the Santa Cruz City mayoral race, Fred Keeley leads in fundraising, having received $27,100 in monetary contributions to Joy Schendledecker’s $6,810. In the 3rd District Santa Cruz County Supervisor race, Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson has raised more than double the amount of Justin Cummings, with totals of $56,491 and $25,532, respectively.
After a late filing, 4th District candidate, Felipe Hernandez is out in front of Jimmy Dutra having raised $15,442 to Dutra’s $12,855.
The reports, filed as FPPC Form 460s, are required from controlled committees that have raised or spent more than $2,000 during a calendar year.
In the state Assembly District 28 race, longtime Santa Cruz County Clerk Gail Pellerin is far ahead of opponent Liz Lawler, having raised $132,727 to Lawler’s $22,825. In the District 30 race, Dawn Addis has raised $248,619, much more than opponent Vicki Nohrden’s $46,012.
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Many of these committees began this fundraising period with some money already raised, but most of these are relatively small amounts, as filings show. Among those who did start this campaign fundraising period with substantial funds are Pellerin and Addis, who began the period with $125,741.98 and $76,339.58, respectively.
As for local measures, Santa Cruz Together - No on Measure N (the so-called empty homes tax) has outraised the measure support group, Yes on Measure N, with totals of $79,087 and $15,918 respectively.
Santa Cruz for Real Library and Housing Solutions, No on O has raised about five times as much as Measure O supporters Yes on Measure O for Our Downtown, Our Future, with amounts of $89,761 and $17,802, respectively.
With regard to measures pertaining to Watsonville boundary issues and planned growth, the Committee for Planned Growth and Farmland Protection (City of Watsonville Measure Q proponents) raised $17,700 this period, adding to its starting cash total of $120,864.
Among all city council candidates in this election, Watsonville City Council District 4 candidate Kristal Salcido had the largest starting cash pool with $7,936.
As Election Day draws closer, committees will spend the raised funds in various ways. Lookout will continue to cover this.
Points to consider as you assess these numbers:
- The amounts listed are solely of cash contributions from individual donors. They do not factor in loans received by the committees, nor do they reflect any non-monetary contributions that the committees might have received.
- The charts do not include cash on hand going into the period from July 1 through Sept. 24.
- The charts do not include cash so far expended.