Madueño leads in campaign funding in Riverbank mayoral race

Some candidates stick to small budget

By Kevin Valine
kvaline@modbee.com

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RIVERBANK — Former Councilwoman Virginia Madueño is the front- runner in the six-person race for mayor when it comes to campaign cash.

She reported raising $6,751, according to documents filed with the city. Vice Mayor Dave White gave his campaign $5,000 and Richard O'Brien reported gathering $1,700.

Mark Ensley and Larry King filed documents stating they will not raise or spend $1,000 or more.

"He's doing a grass-roots campaign," said John Mitchell, Ensley's campaign manager. "A lot of people know him." He added that Ensley has lived in the city for more than a quarter century and is well-known from serving as a Riverbank Unified School District trustee from 2001-05.

Former Councilman Paul Gutierrez did not file paperwork with the city. He has not returned several phone calls from The Bee and did not attend a recent candidate forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce.

Madueño lent her campaign $1,000 and raised $5,751, with half of that coming from three contributors. She received $1,000 each from Alves & Ribeiro Dairy; Ivan Rizo, chief executive of Riverbank's Rizo Lopez Foods; and Cesar Fajardo, a regional sales manager with Rizo Lopez.

Rizo could not be reached for comment, but his brother and company President Edwin Rizo said, "We feel she has more of a commitment to Riverbank and to create jobs. That's a huge problem here."

White gave $5,000 to his campaign. He had no other contributors.

O'Brien reported receiving $500 from Bruce Boese, who owns and operates about 80 rental properties in Oakdale and Riverbank, according to Boese's secretary.

O'Brien also received $200 from his father and $1,000 from his nephew's committee, Friends of Bill O'Brien. Bill O'Brien is a former Riverbank mayor and now serves on the county Board of Supervisors.

Candidates will file their next campaign finance reports with the city Oct. 22.

Riverbank residents vote Nov. 3 for mayor. The five-person council has been without a mayor since May, when David I. White resigned to take a job in San Diego.

Bee staff writer Kevin Valine can be reached at kvaline@modbee.com or 578-2316.