While Richmond City Council candidates are seeing their campaign funds grow as they reach the final 10 days before the Nov. 5 election, it doesn’t compare to an independent effort to defeat a measure that seeks to establish ranked-choice voting.
Richmondside examined campaign finance reports for the District 1, 5 and 6 races for the most recent filing period of July 1, 2024 through Sept. 21, 2024, along with more recent donations reported by candidates and by independent committees. Six of the seven candidates have reported receiving donations from private citizens, trade unions, a law enforcement official, local environmental groups and city employee unions.
Although candidates’ coffers are growing, so are those of their supporters and adversaries, with one independent committee sinking about half a million dollars into supporting a measure to establish primary elections and defeat the ranked-choice voting measure.
Big money spent on voting measures
By far, the biggest spending for the upcoming Richmond election has come from an independent committee called Richmond Votes Matters (sic). Since the committee was formed in August of last year, it has raised and spent about half a million dollars supporting Measure J, which would establish a primary election for mayoral and city council races that would occur during March in election years. This measure is opposing Measure L, which would institute ranked-choice voting for these races.
Richmond Votes Matters has raised about two and a half times as much money as all candidates combined. Recently it spent about $225,000 between Sept. 22 and Oct. 19, mostly on mailers and internet and television ads.
Richmond Votes Matters is closely associated with the Richmond Police Officers Association. Its founder is Richmond Police Officer Association President Benjamin Therriault. The police association’s political action committee also contributed $190,000 to Richmond Votes Matters, more than any other donor. Other major donations include: $75,000 from Boilermakers Local 159 and $50,000 donations from three other unions: IBEW 302, Nor Cal Carpenters, and Operating Engineers Local 3.
East Bay Working Families has spent about $36,000 this year on television spots and mailers supporting Measure L and opposing Measure J, which is the opposite stand that Richmond Votes Matters has taken.
District 6
The District 6 candidates, incumbent Claudia Jimenez and challenger Shawn Dunning, have reported receiving the most cash among the three council races — totaling $105,481.81 so far this year.
The Richmond Progressive Alliance-backed Jimenez was elected in 2020 to represent the district, which includes the North and East and East Richmond neighborhoods. She currently is vice mayor.
In the most recent filings, Jimenez reported $66,801.81 has been raised for her campaign so far this year, with $9,396 coming from July to September and another $13,988.33 from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, making her the top fundraiser among all seven council candidates. Significant recent donations include $1,500 from the local environmental protection group Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) — one of two groups that proposed putting a refinery tax on the November ballot — and two citizen donations of $1,000 each.
Jimenez also reported receiving $6,000 in donations on Oct. 17, which includes $2,500 each from the California Nurses Association PAC and Lift Up Contra Costa Action PAC and $1,000 from the National Union of Healthcare Workers Candidate Committee for Quality Patient Care and Union Democracy.
Jimenez, who has been an advocate of ways to reimagine public safety in Richmond and is the council liaison to the citizens committee that investigates police misconduct cases, has been the subject of a $22,000 campaign against her reelection launched by the Richmond Police Officers Association PAC, an independent expenditure committee.
Another independent expenditure committee, East Bay Working Families, reported spending about $7,000 supporting Jimenez and about $4,700 opposing Dunning. East Bay Working Families gets most of its funding from SEIU 1021, a union representing employees in local governments, nonprofit agencies, health care programs and schools throughout Northern California.
According to the filings, Dunning’s campaign collected $38,680 in donations this year, with $8,523 coming from July to September and another $4,644 coming from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19. The largest were a $1,500 donation from the Operating Engineers Local 3 PAC and a citizen donation of $1,250.
Dunning has also reported contributions since the last filing period, including $1,500 from the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council Small Contributor Committee on Sept. 30 and $1,000 from the Committee to Elect current Contra Costa County Sheriff David Livingston on Oct. 3.
District 5
The second highest earning city council race so far this campaign season is in District 5, where Ahmad Anderson and RPA-backed Sue Wilson are vying for the seat held by longtime Richmond political figure Gayle McLaughlin, who announced on June 5 that she would not be seeking re-election.
The district includes a number of neighborhoods: Marina Bay, Richmond Annex, Eastshore, Cortez/Stege, Panhandle Annex, Parkview, Laurel Park and Southwest Annex.
As of the recent filing period, Anderson reported raking in $47,563 for his campaign after having initially reported a campaign fund of $5,000 of his own money in the filing period ending in July.
Of the notable donations Anderson reported receiving were $1,000 from the 23rd Street Merchants Association, $2,500 from UA Local 342 Plumbers & Pipefitters, $500 from Sims Metal and $2,000 from IBEW Local 203. He also received three $2,500 citizen donations and three $1,000 donations.
According to the latest filings, Wilson has collected $46,043.33 so far this year for her campaign — $18,666 of which was raised from July through September and $19,017.31 from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19.
Of her donations, Wilson received $750 from APEN, $2,500 from the Richmond Firefighters Union (IAFF) and four citizen donations of $2,500 each.
Wilson has also reported donations coming after the filing deadline, according to records. She received $1,000 from IFPTE Local 21 PAC on Sept. 25, $1,000 from the National Union of Healthcare Workers Candidate Committee for Quality Patient Care and Union Democracy on Oct. 7, and $2,500 each from the California Nurses Association PAC and the Lift Up Contra Costa PAC, each reported on Oct. 14.
Additionally, East Bay Working Families has independently spent about $4,000 supporting Wilson.
She also received a citizen donation of $2,500 that was reported on Oct. 4 and a $2,000 citizen donation that was reported on Oct. 14, according to records.
District 1
In the race that so far has raised the least money, incumbent Willis, the RPA-backed candidate vying for re-election in the Iron Triangle and Belding Woods neighborhoods, is the top earner among the three candidates, so far reporting nearly $35,626.34 raised.
According to the most recent filings, Willis received a $2,500 donation from the Richmond Firefighters Union (IAFF) Local 188 and a $750 donation from APEN. Earl Koteen, a Berkeley ecological justice minister, donated $1,000 to Willis’ campaign.
Since the Sept. 21 filing deadline, Willis has also reported that he received a $1,000 donation from International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) Local 21 on Sept. 27 as well as $2,500 from the Lift Up Contra Costa PAC, $1,000 from the National Union of Healthcare Workers Candidate Committee for Quality Patient Care and Union Democracy and $1,000 from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Committee of Interns and Resident Physicians PAC, on Oct. 12.
Additionally, East Bay Working Families has independently spent about $7,000 supporting Willis.
One of Willis’ two challengers, Jamelia Brown, reported that she has raised $14,032 this year, $5,000 of which was self-funded, according to her filings for the last two periods. She also received $2,500 from International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers Local 549 PAC.
Since the filing deadline, Brown reported receiving $2,500 from UA Local 342 Plumbers & Pipefitters on Sept. 27 and $2,000 from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 302 on Sept. 30. The other D1 challenger, Mark Wassberg, an outspoken critic of the RPA who ran for mayor in 2022, has not yet reported any campaign donations.
