Image not recoveredhqdefault.jpg
The 2014 Santa Clarita City Council election is still nine months away, but a few candidates are already raising thousands of dollars for their campaigns, according to campaign disclosure documents covering the first half of 2013.
Laurene Weste, who during the same period in her last campaign raised exactly $0, has made a statement with a big showing by raising over $18,000 for her reelection campaign.
Call it a sign of strength or insecurity, but it's clear that the donation limit ceiling raised after the 2010 election is going to make things a lot easier for incumbents in 2014.
The lobbyists, developers and other moneyed interests who were reliable max $360 donors for Weste in the past are more than happy to pitch in for $1,000 today. To put things in perspective, her average donation of $551 is higher (by 53%) than than the $360 maximum donation under the limits that were in place for her last election.
This presents an interesting contrast to 2010 when Weste, Marsha McLean and Frank Ferry held joint fundraisers where they took in nearly identical sets of checks from their wealthiest supporters.
McLean took in just shy of $3,500, most of it from a handful of politically savvy donors (including two lobbyists and two politicians) who knew better than to leave Marsha empty handed on Laurene's big day.
Is this Weste's one big show, or if this is the first of several big fundraisers? Will the same ATM be open for McLean when she's ready?
Al Ferdman is also getting an early start. He took in over $5,000 with an eclectic group of donors reminiscent of the Boydston campaigns. It's an impressive score this early and it's a good indication that Ferdman is going to be something more than a protest candidate.
As far as we can tell, announced candidates Duane Harte, Gloria Mercado-Fortine, Berta Gonzalez-Harper and Dante Acosta did not file FPPC paperwork during the first reporting period, which ended of June 30. Maria Gutzeit, whose campaign for council will likely begin after the November elections, did not raise any money during this period.
Here are the FPPC Form 460 filings for the three campaigns 2014 that raised money during this period. Mercifully, none of these were filled out by hand (looking at you, Frank Ferry).
Laurene Weste: $18,276
Al Ferdman: $5,157
Marsha McLean: $3,472
Comments (1)