Woodside election: Winners spent less Woodside election: Winners spent less (February 13, 2002)

By Andrea Gemmet

Almanac Staff Writer

The final tallies are in for campaign spending in the November 4 Woodside Town Council election, and clearly, money is not necessarily the key to success. The two candidates who were opposed for their council seats underspent their competitors by several thousands of dollars.

The finance statements cover the period from October 21 through December 31, 2001, and were filed at Woodside Town Hall January 31. The winners were newcomer Deborah Gordon in District 2, incumbent Joe Putnam in District 4 and incumbent Carroll Ann Hodges in District 6.
Gary McKae

The largest amount of contributions collected during the final filing period, $12,723, was raised by Gary McKae, who ran unsuccessfully against incumbent councilwoman Carroll Ann Hodges in District 6.

Mr. McKae's biggest contributor was a political action committee, Citizens for Better Government in San Mateo County, based in Burlingame, which made two donations for a total of $10,310. The other contributors of amounts of $100 or more were: Henry Alexander, a Menlo Park asbestos abatement contractor, who gave $100; and a New York City resident, Judith McKay-Durham, who gave $100, which was subsequently returned.

Wayne Trewhitt of Woodside contributed $500 worth of food and beverages, and Mr. McKae contributed $1,163 in postage to his own campaign. The grand total raised by his campaign was $13,723.

During the final filing period, Mr. McKae spent $10,492 on campaign literature and mailings, and campaign consultant services, with RJ Marketing in Moraga. He reported paying the Almanac $847 for print ads, and he paid his campaign treasurer, David M. Slosberg Inc. of Millbrae, $215.

The total spent by Mr. McKae's campaign was $14,534, leaving him with $2,716 in outstanding debts.
Carroll Ann Hodges

Ms. Hodges, who won re-election to District 6, raised $2,071 during the final reporting period, bringing her total for the campaign to $11,073.

Patricia Kahl, a Woodside homemaker, donated $500, as did Woodside History Committee member Sonja Davidow and Woodside resident Esmail Amid-Hozour, the CEO of Grundig, N.A.

Not-itemized contributions of less than $100 to Ms. Hodges' campaign during the final reporting period totaled $571.

Ms. Hodges reported spending $1,789 on print ads in the Almanac; $2,344 on postage, mailings and campaign sign materials; and $160 on campaign postcards. She also reported returning a $2,000 contribution from Robert Levenson of Woodside, and she donated the remaining balance of her funds, $2,436, to the Woodside Community Foundation, bringing the total she spent on campaigning to $8,637.
Deborah Gordon

Ms. Gordon, who raised the smallest amount of money, had one of the highest-profile donors _ former Secretary of Defense William Perry, and his wife, Lee, who contributed $500. Ms. Gordon works with Mr. Perry at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. She won election to the open seat over Joe Kirley, another newcomer.

Venture capitalist and Woodside resident Reid Dennis donated $200, and defense analyst Michael Lippetz of Chicago donated $116. She also reported receiving $287 in not-itemized contributions, raising the total raised by her campaign for the election by $1,103, to $2,176. When she declared her candidacy, Ms. Gordon said she intended to keep her campaign spending to about $2,000.

Ms. Gordon reported spending $170 on print ads in the Almanac, $147 on campaign signs and $150 for copying services at Kinko's during the final period. She also spent $442 on postage and reported paying $136 to Robert's market for sandwiches for volunteers.
Joe Kirley

Mr. Kirley, who ran against Ms. Gordon in District 2, raised $10,890 in the final reporting period, bringing his total amount of contributions to $11,890.

His principal contributor was the same political action committee that financed much of Mr. McKae's campaign _ Citizens for Better Government in San Mateo County, which made two contributions for a total of $10,090. He also reported receiving a $250 contribution from California Real Estate Candidate Support, a Los Angeles-based PAC. And, like Mr. McKae, he received a $100 donation from Judith McKay-Durham of New York City, which he subsequently returned. Mr. Kirley also loaned his campaign a total of $1,450.

Mr. Kirley reported paying RJ Marketing $6,600 for campaign literature and mailings and $3,000 for consulting services. He spent $847 on print advertising in the Almanac, $741 on postage and $215 to David M. Slosberg Inc., his campaign treasurer, for professional services.

He reported spending a total of $12,997 on his campaign efforts, leaving him with $2,945 in outstanding debts.
Joe Putnam

Mr. Putnam, who ran unopposed for re-election in District 4, reported making no campaign expenditures and receiving no campaign contributions. Instead, he forgave $12,395 in loans he made to his previous council campaign in 1997.