News Blog

News Blog

District 5 Supervisor Race Shaping Up To Be $500k Campaign

Challenger Marc Del Piero is outpacing County Supervisor Dave Potter in fundraising, having brought in $227,000 this year, compared to Potter's $197,000.

At $95,000, the North Salinas Valley Fund for Responsible Growth is the single largest giver to Del Piero's campaign. The fund also gave $45,000 to Supervisor Jane Parker's successful bid for re-election earlier this year. The Fund is a 501(c)(4), or tax-exempt social welfare organization.

According to the Internal Revenue Service website, a 501(c)(4) "must operate primarily to further the common good and general welfare of the people of the community (such as by bringing about civic betterment and social improvements)."

Potter's biggest giver is the Salinas Valley Leadership Group, at $10,000. The Building Industry Association of the Bay Area PAC and RC Farms in Salinas each gave $5,000, and Concord-based developer Jon Reynolds and UCP East Garrison gave $6,000 each.

The District 1 seat, representing most of urban Salinas, has incumbent Supervisor Fernando Armenta pitted against City Councilman Tony Barrera, who's lagging in fundraising by about 10 to 1.

Barrera reports raising $12,000 so far, with his biggest gifts are $1,000 each from the packer-shipper Uni-Kool and Dr. Rolando Cabrera.

Armenta began the 2012 election cycle with a war chest of nearly $100,000. He's raised almost $109,000 so far this year, and spent in excess of $180,000.

His biggest donor is the Salinas Valley Leadership Group at $10,000. Rosa Boutennet of Ocean Mist Farms gave $6,000, and RC Farms $5,000. Unions and union PACs have contributed upwards of $7,000 to Armenta's campaign, and other PACs have given $5,000.

The newest county campaign finance reports, filed the first week of October, show fundraising through Sept. 30; the final fundraising push in the final five weeks of the campaign won't be reported until the next quarterly reports are due.