Loans flush out campaign funds
CITY HALL — In an environment where campaigns for City Council can often cost anywhere from $50,000 to more than $150,000, raising funds becomes crucial if one wants to be victorious.
There are mailers to pay for, consultants to hire and constituents to woo, none of which comes cheap.
With less than a month to go before the Nov. 7 election, Mayor Bob Holbrook and Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day have both raised more than $50,000, putting them far ahead of the eight other challengers looking to fill three seats on the council, according to the latest campaign disclosure statements released Friday by the City Clerk’s Office.
Thursday, Oct. 5, marked the first time candidates had to file campaign disclosure statements with the City Clerk. The statements detail campaign contributions received and expenditures made between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30.
Holbrook, a USC pharmacist, and O’Day, executive director of Environment Now, have also been helped by Santa Monicans for Sensible Priorities (SMSP), a coalition of residents and local business owners that has spent $42,500 on mailers in support of the two candidates. SMSP is funded by the hospitality industry, including Edward Thomas Management Co., which operates Shutters on the Beach and Casa Del Mar Hotel.
Challenger Gleam Davis, an attorney for AT&T, has loaned herself the most money of any of the candidates, with a personal contribution of $15,930, raising her total contributions to $20,990, much of which has been spent on a mailer and campaign literature. She is followed by Councilman Kevin McKeown, a computer technician for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School district, who loaned himself $10,000, bumping up his total contributions to $11,924. They are the only two candidates to dig into their own pockets thus far, according to the latest campaign disclosure statements.
Without the loans, Davis’ total contributions to date would have been $5,060, while McKeown would have faired worse, with just $1,924.
While that may seem small when compared to the campaign war chests of Holbrook and O’Day, both Davis and McKeown are endorsed by Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), the city’s ruling political party, which has more than $72,000 to spend on its slate of candidates.
As in decades past, SMRR is expected to play a considerable role in the election, sending out a series of slate mailers backing candidates for the council, school board, Santa Monica College board of trustees and the rent control board.
Councilmember Pam O’Connor, who is also endorsed my SMRR, will need considerable financial assistance if she does not pick up the pace over the next four weeks. To date, the historical preservationist has raised only $1,819.
Looking at the all-important cash balance column, meaning money that is currently available to be spent, McKeown is sitting pretty with $12,068, while Holbrook still holds a sizable advantage with $47,960. Both have outstanding debts — McKeown with $10,000, and Holbrook’s more than $24,500.
Behind Davis, with $5,920 on hand, sits O’Day, with a cash balance of $5,132, followed by events planner Jenna Linnekens, with $1,391, and O’Connor with $556.
Real estate agent Mark McLellan, flight attendant Jonathan Mann, entertainment consultant Terence Later and data entry operator Linda Armstrong did not file statements with the City Clerk.
Most candidates relied on small contributions from residents and local businesses, the maximum amount contributed being $250 per person, in accordance with City Hall’s strict campaign contribution law.
Some of Holbrook’s backers include Volkswagon of Santa Monica, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Carmel Hotel Enterprises Inc. Holbrook also managed to grab $125 from former Santa Monica Police Chief James T. Butts Jr. and $250 from the Coalition of Santa Monica City Employees.
O’Day’s contributions stem from a variety of sources as well, including an executive with the Southern California Gas Co., a grant writer with the California Endowment and land use attorneys Harding, Larmore and Kutcher.
Unions have been very supportive of McKeown, with UFCW Local 770 and Local 1442 contributing $250 apiece. McKeown has also received support from retired residents, a playwright and stockbroker.
Davis had a similar pattern of contributions, most coming from retired residents. A physician at UCLA and a script supervisor at FOX also contributed, along with Peter Mezza, the director of the City Hall’s Section 8 housing program. Shari Davis, a co-founder of Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), which has raised just over $3,000 for its political action committee, personally donated $250 to Davis, a key member of CEPS.
O’Connor received $200 from two executives of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., $250 from land use consultant Howard Robinson and an administrator at RAND Corp.
Linnekens pulled in several contributions from real estate interests, including Tenzer Commercial Brokerage Group, Inc.; which manages several commercial properties throughout Santa Monica; santamonicalistings.com, a real estate firm; and Safran and Associates.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 9, 2006. Read the original PDF.