Modesto council candidates not hauling in huge amounts of cash as election nears
The 11 candidates running for three seats on the Modesto City Council in the Nov. 3 election have not raised huge sums in their campaigns for elected office.
With $30,473 so far, planning commissioner Rosa Escutia-Braaton has raised the most, while three candidates have raised little or no campaign funds.
The most recent campaign finance forms are through Oct. 17. Candidates have reported receiving donations from people and groups that typically give in Modesto elections, including unions and development interests. Companies associated with Bill Lyons — including Mapes Ranch Investments, Lyons BB Sisk and Lyons Investments — have been the biggest donors, giving $11,000 to three candidates.
The races are for council districts 1 in northwest Modesto, 3 in central Modesto and 6 in northeast Modesto.
District 1 fundraising
The District 1 candidates are Escutia-Braaton, John Gunderson, a substitute teacher and former councilman, Jennifer Hidalgo, a field representative for state Sen. Anna Caballero, and Amin Vohra, a planning commissioner and the CEO of Advanced College.
They are running to replace Councilman Mani Grewal, who is not running for re-election.
Escutia-Braaton raised $5,000 from Lyons Investments Management, $2,000 from the Modesto Police Officers Association, $1,500 each from the Modesto City FireFighters Association, real estate investment firm Terravest Capital Partners and the California Real Estate Political Action Committee and $1,000 each from PMZ Real Estate CEO-President Mike Zagaris and Grewal’s Grewal 2012 Hospitality Group LLC.
Gunderson filed paperwork with the city stating he planned to raise and spend less than $2,000 in his campaign. And he said he has not raised any money.
Hidalgo reported raising $13,702. Her biggest contributions include $2,000 from the Stanislaus County Democratic Committee, $1,000 from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and $500 each from the SEIU United Healthcare Workers and the California Real Estate Political Action Committee.
Vohra reported raising $19,263 with $6,763 of that coming from Maze Budget Meats, with about $4,000 of that from Vohra’s now defunct campaign for the Yosemite Community College District. He also reported receiving $2,300 from Quick Shop N Go, $2,100 from U-Save Market and $2,000 from Alex & Sons Liquors.
Vohra said the businesses are owned by members of his mosque. He received smaller donations from other convenience stores, small grocers, meat markets and small businesses that he said also are owned by members of his mosque.
District 3 fundraising
The District 3 candidates are Jim Applegate, pastor of vision and preaching at Redeemer Modesto, Janice Keating, a former councilwoman, Stanislaus County Taxpayers Association members and a former executive director of the Republican Central Committee of Stanislaus County, and Chris Ricci, a promoter, co-founder of the Modesto Area Music Association Awards, and founder of the now defunct X-Fest.
They are running to replace Councilwoman Kristi Ah You, who is one of the eight mayoral candidates on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Applegate reported raising $20,950. His bigger donors include $2,500 each from the Modesto Police Officers Association and Assemblyman Heath Flora’s campaign, $2,400 from former state Sen. Anthony Cannella’s defunct supervisor campaign, $2,000 from county Supervisor Kristin Olsen’s campaign, as well as $1,000 each from James Bates with the high-tech firm Datapath, and former Councilman Brad Hawn.
Keating has raised $21,400. Her bigger donors include $2,500 each from Lyons BB Sisk LLC and Mapes Ranch Investments LLC, and $2,000 each from 7/11 Materials, a supplier of ready mix and aggregate products to the construction industry, and MTC Distributing, which supplies convenience stores, small grocers and similar businesses. She also received $250 from Commercial Architecture, which is owned by Mayor Ted Brandvold.
Ricci has raised $25,986, which includes $6,000 he has lent to his campaign. He has received $2,000 from the Stanislaus County Democratic Committee, $1,000 each from IBEW Local 684 and Mary Ann Sanders, the retired principal who has an elementary school named after her, as well as $950 from the Modesto Progressive Democratic Club.
District 6 fundraising
The District 6 candidates are Jessica Gonzalez, an office manager in her family’s auto repair business, Kelsten Obert, owner of Knock-Out Landscape Services, Hunter Sauls, an Army veteran and employee in his family’s Willey Printing Co., and David Wright, owner of Wright Insurance Agency.
Gonzalez reported raising $590 from nine donors. Obert has not reported raising money but has spent $2,941 on his campaign.
Sauls reported raising $6,169. That includes $600 he has lent his campaign and $2,821 in nonmonetary donations from his family’s business. He also reported receiving $500 from former Mayor Garrad Marsh.
Wright has raised $21,947, including $7,000 he has lent his campaign. He has received $1,000 each from Supervisor Jim DeMartini, Davis Guest Homes owner Lonny Davis, the Farmers (Insurance) Group Political Action Committee and the California Real Estate Political Action Committee. He also received $500 each from Mapes Ranch Investments and Lyons BB Sisk LLC.
This story was originally published October 30, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
