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East Palo Alto City Council candidates kept the fundraising to a minimum this year, with only three of the eight candidates submitting campaign finance documents.
Candidate Mark Dinan led the pack in fundraising, raising $16,154, according to campaign documents. The majority of his donors were East Palo Alto residents, but some came from neighboring cities like Palo Alto, Menlo Park and Mountain View.
The California Real Estate Political Action Committee donated $500 to his campaign, former Belle Haven Elementary School Principal Todd Gaviglio another $500 and current East Palo Alto council member Martha Barragan gave $100.
Deborah Lewis-Virges trailed behind Dinan, raising $8,452 total, according to campaign documents.
East Palo Alto mayor Antonio Lopez gave $100 to her campaign, Alicia Garcia – chief operating officer of East Palo Alto nonprofit WeHope – donated $200 and local pastor Paul Bains pitched in $200.
Candidates are beholden to strict filing deadlines by the state’s Fair Political Practices Commission and city and county regulations, and will be fined for failing to file or for any campaign finance statements that are not filed on time. Those who do not raise or spend more than $2,000 file shorter forms.
Webster Lincoln didn’t fundraise much this year, he said, garnering just $1,778 – $1,003 of which came in the form of loans. While he didn’t reach the minimum spending requirement, he filed forms to “keep the options open,” he said.
The San Mateo County LatinX Democratic Club donated $100 to his campaign and Kelly Fergusson, former Menlo Park mayor, donated $250, according to financial documents.
Carlos Romero, who is a current city council member, said he did not accept donations as per his personal policy.
“By doing so I am free to make my decisions on city council free of potential pressure from those who might have contributed to my campaign,” he wrote in an email. “In addition, I plan to spend no more than the $2,000 limit allowed by the FPPC.”
Candidates Ravneel Chaudhary, Maria Rocha, Dennis Scherzer, Gail Wilkerson and Ofelia Bello – who bowed out of the race – did not meet the $2,000 limit so did not submit documents on campaign spending.
