A challenger in the Menlo Park Fire Protection District board race who ran unsuccessfully for a seat in 2018 is getting a leg up from his fellow challenger.

Sean Ballard has received and spent $4,107 in nonmonetary contributions, all of it provided by fellow candidate and former fire board member Peter Carpenter, who he is campaigning with. The contributions came in the form of signs, advertising, business cards and a domain name, according to campaign finance documents.

Carpenter has poured $31,000 into his own campaign, including a $30,000 loan, according to forms he filed with San Mateo County on Sept. 19. He has spent $9,031 and has $21,969 remaining. Aside from the money spent toward Ballard's campaign, the rest of his expenditures funded his candidate's statement fee, more signs, domain names, business cards, and ads. Carpenter also has independent expenditures totaling $24,209, as of Oct. 6, which paid for mailers and ads.

Incumbent Virginia Chang Kiraly has received $916 in contributions and spent $820 to pay to file her candidate's statement, according to her campaign finance forms. Including a $933 loan from herself, she has $1,029 on hand as of Sept. 24. Monetary contributions included $166 from herself, $250 from clean energy executive Kelly Fergusson, $250 from fellow fire board member Jim McLaughlin, and $250 from Steve Westly, managing partner of The Westly Group — all Menlo Park residents.

Fellow incumbent Rob Silano has received $3,550 in monetary contributions, including $2,000 from himself; $500 from retired Woodside resident Terry Bogart; $250 from McLaughlin; $250 from Emerald Hills resident Daryl Jones, owner of TEA Communications; $250 from Atherton resident and financial services professional James Carruthers; and $100 each from San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa's 2024 reelection committee, retired Redwood City resident Lisa Maskarich, PG&E supervisor and retired commander of the California Highway Patrol's Redwood City office, Michael Maskarich, and retired Menlo Park resident Cindy Marty. Silano also took out a $2,000 loan and had spent $833 on his candidate's statement and a credit card as of Sept. 24, according to his campaign finance documents.