With less than a month to go until the Nov. 8 election to fill three open seats on the Sonoma City Council, the most recent campaign finance filings among the five council candidates show John Gurney with a sizable edge in contributions — outpacing the second highest fundraiser in that period by nearly 34%, or $4,400.
According to the campaign finance filings registered with the City of Sonoma, covering July 1 to Sept. 24, top fundraiser Gurney had received $12,745 in total contributions followed by Thomas Deegan, who had received $8,388.46 in contributions.
Meanwhile, Patricia Farrar-Revis had raised $7,900.51; Ron Wellander $6,263; and Mike Nugent, $1,250.
The contribution totals of the three highest campaign fundraisers were all bolstered by loans to their campaigns from either themselves, family members or their businesses, with Gurney declaring $5,000 in loans from himself; Farrar-Revis, $6,175 from herself; and Deegan declaring $5,895.46 in loans from his spouse, Kathrina Deegan, and business, the Deegan Group.
Election law allows candidates, family or friends to make personal loans to campaigns which can be paid back through outside contributions made prior to the election. Unlike other contributions, these candidate loans are not subject to any limits, but are subject to additional reporting, according to the Federal Elections Commission.
The city of Sonoma in June raised its individual monetary campaign contribution limit to $500; it had previously been set at $100.
Gurney said the personal loans have been necessary since outside fundraising has lagged behind his campaign’s timeline for expenditures, which to date, he said, is at about $17,000, covering the purchase of signs, a campaign website, photography, brochures, survey postcards, remittance envelopes and his first “mailer,” which was sent out this week.
“We have not raised enough to cover all these costs,” Gurney told the Index-Tribune. “I have loaned the campaign funds to keep us in business.”
Nugent, diversely, isn’t planning on making any personal loans to his campaign, instead “depending on the generosity of people who love Sonoma to support my campaign.” As for campaign costs, Nugent reported $99.80 in total expenditures. He said a back surgery has limited the extent he can “walk precincts,” and he will “evaluate” his social media and mail reach, “with an eye on a budget strictly based on our ability to garner support.”
Deegan, in his Sept. 24 filing, reported $7,681.22 in expenditures which, he said, have gone largely to “information outreach to the community,” such as pamphlets, signs, mailers and digital communications.
Farrar-Revis said her $2,687,97 in expenditures have been put toward signage, canvassing cards and mailings. “I also have smaller expenditures for clipboards and pencils for volunteers — and my Facebook page,” she added.
Wellander joins Nugent as one of two candidates in the race so far not to make any personal loans to his campaign. With total contributions at $6,263, Wellander trails only Gurney in non-personal-loan contributions. He said he’s spent the $3,939.43 of his funds “not unlike the other candidates” on signage, a website, promotional literature and “neighborhood mixers” and “fundraiser gatherings,” such as $641 on a campaign-kickoff event.
Email Jason Walsh at Jason.walsh@sonomanews.com.
