Alameda County DA candidate's savage mailer is the talk of the town
IE appears poised to spend heavily on negative ads against SD10 candidate Lily Mei; A's owner, Fisher family goes all in for ALCO Board of Education charter school candidate
ELECTION 2022
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—SHOTS FIRED—Now we know which candidate for Alameda County District Attorney was readying an attack on one of its opponents. Jimmie Wilson’s campaign released a blistering mailer against Terry Wiley over the weekend that has the entire East Bay political world talking. Is the mailer and accompanying website a game changer in this tight race? Is the family member of a candidate fair game? Rep. Eric Swalwell, who has endorsed Wiley, called Wilson’s mailer pathetic.
—Two weeks ago, I reported a push poll was surveying Alameda County voters’ opinions about Wiley’s son and an incident in 2017, in which he fired on Solano County deputies. The push poll was very specific, including a question about the presence of a gun in Wiley’s home that is now featured prominently in the mailer.
—“Before the police did a probation check, Terry Wiley should have done a parent check,” the mailer reads. “If Terry Wiley - a 30-year veteran District Attorney - can’t keep an illegal assault weapon out of the hands of a convicted felon in his own home, how is he going to keep guns out of Alameda County?”
—The mailer may be the most ruthless seen in the East Bay since Bob Wieckowski’s “Mugshot Mary” piece in the 2014 10th State Senate race that highlighted Mary Hayashi’s infamous shoplifting arrest at Neiman Marcus. Wieckowski won the primary and knocked Hayashi, a former assemblymember, out of the top two.
—Wilson’s mailer may have the same potential to vault him into a November runoff and, at the same time, knocking Wiley out of the top two. However, there is risks when bringing a candidate’s family member into the discourse of a campaign. But possibly less so in this particular case because of the connection to a firearm.
—While there was condemnation for Wilson going after Wiley’s son, the chatter among East Bay insiders was shock and some admiration for the aggressive mailer. It’s not typically the style of East Bay campaigns to go for the throat in this manner.
—Swalwell quoted the Bible over the weekend as he condemned the mailer. But Swalwell once used the same strategy a decade ago while raising questions about Rep. Pete Stark’s young twins receiving Social Security benefits.
ALAMEDA MEASURE B
—CONTAINMENT POLICY—The Alameda Journal, the weekly version of the East Bay Times published an editorial on Friday that urged Alameda voters to vote no on Measure B, a $298 million school facilities bond measure on the June primary ballot. In a surefire sign that a wall exists between the newspaper’s newsroom and its business department, a sticker on the front of Friday’s print edition urged voters to support the measure. The sticker was paid for by Alameda Forward, the well-funded committee supporting Measure B. Alameda Forward’s gambit is a low-level stroke of genius. It remains to be seen, however, despite the relatively low 55 percent threshold for passage, whether Alamedans who have braved the pandemic and now rising inflation, are in the mood for an expensive bond measure.l
OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL - DISTRICT 4
—CANDIDATE BOWS OUT—An Oakland City Council candidate who filed an intent to run for the District 4 seat being left open because of Councilmember Sheng Thao’s campaign for mayor, will not be running after all. The departure of Renia Webb, Thao’s chief of staff, leaves Janani Ramachandran as the only known candidate in the race. Ramachandran ran an fiery progressive campaign last year in the 18th Assembly District special election. The potential that Ramachandran could bring the same unwavering progressive panache to the Oakland City Council has some insiders worried because Ramachandran projects as a version of Councilmember Carroll Fife.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE ROUNDUP
—OVERALL IE SPENDING—Independent Expenditure Committee spending in advance of the June primary is skyrocketing. More than $13.5 million has been spent in state and legislative races through May 11, the California Target Book reported on Friday.
—Two of the epicenters for the IE spending resides in Central and Southern Alameda County races in the 10th State Senate District and 20th Assembly District, two Dem-on-Dem contests pitting labor-backed progressives and business-friendly moderates.
—In addition, IEs have spent more than $6.5 million in California congressional races. Very little of that spending has occurred in Alameda County where its members of Congress are separately facing a bar owner, square dance caller, and QAnon candidate, among a number of political newbies.
—IE ALERT—Opportunity PAC - A Coalition of Teachers, Health Care Givers, Faculty Members, School Employees, and Public and Private Employee Organization’s spent $152,990 on two mailers, research, and polling in opposition of Lily Mei’s campaign in the 10th State Senate District on Friday. The polling expenditure, itself, is a healthy $28,500.
—But, wait. There’s more. The same IE opposing Mei is planning to saturate social media with digital ads to the tune of $120,000, according to finance record filed on Saturday.
—Opportunity PAC is also supporting and opposing candidates in the 28th State Senate District, and supporting and opposing candidates in the 40th Assembly District. This indicates Opportunity PAC may later spend money in support of Wahab’s campaign.
—MEI CALLS POLICE—As the fundraising arm race in the 10th State Senate appears to be escalating at a fevered pitch, Mei is turning to law enforcement sources to fund her campaign. On Friday, Mei landed a total of $27,500 from five donors, three of which represent police.
—The Los Angeles Police Protective League PAC contributed $9,800 on Friday, as did the Fremont Police Association PAC, $4,900; and the State Affiliated Cops Prop. 34 Committee, $4,900. Davita, which has, in part, funded an IE in support of Mei added $3,000 on Friday, along with $4,900 from Cargo PAC California Trucking Association.
—TEXT CNA—California Nurses Association PAC spent $4,058 on text messaging and phone banking for Aisha Wahab’s campaign in the 10th State Senate District, and $1,274 for Assemblymember Alex Lee’s re-election in the 24th District on Friday.
—A’S B’S AND C’S—A’s owner John Fisher is a big supporter of school privatization. His mother, Doris Fisher, the co-founder of The Gap, previously contributed to the campaign of Kate Dao, a candidate for the Tri-Valley’s Area 7 seat on the Alameda County Board of Education this June. An IE backed by the Fishers named Charter Public Schools Political Action Committee, sponsored by California Charter Schools Association Advocates spent $70,667 on Friday for a mailer in support of Dao’s campaign and polling. Five members of the Fisher family contributed $8,100 to the IE last week. The outlay includes $38,000 for polling, which might suggest more money will be spent on some type of voter outreach very soon.
—MAILER FOR ORTEGA—United Food and Commercial Workers Active Ballot Club PAC contributed $5,000 to Ortega-Toro For Assembly 2022, Sponsored By Bricklayers And Allied Craftworkers Local 3, the IE in support of Liz Ortega’s campaign. On Saturday, the same IE spent $40,837 for a mailer.
—ACDEMS HAUL—Retiring Hayward Assemblymember Bill Quirk is almost single-handily propping up the financially-struggling Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. Quirk has long been a fruitful supporter of the local party. His campaign committee added $10,000 to the Alameda County Dem’s coffers on Friday. Assemblymember Alex Lee’s campaign committee also added $1,000 to the pot.
—LANDLORDS AGAINST KAP—The California Apartment Association Housing Solutions Committee doesn’t like Alameda County supervisorial candidate Rebecca Kaplan’s plan for enacting just cause renters protections in unincorporated Alameda County. The IE spent $5,000 on a mailer opposing Kaplan’s campaign on Friday.
—MONEYBALL—Here’s Form 497 Late Contributions from Friday afternoon through Monday: Pamela Price (Alameda County District Attorney), Yiling Peng of Castro Valley $1,000… Terry Wiley (Alameda County District Attorney), Phil Schnayerson of Hayward, $1,000…
Greg Ahern (Alameda County Sheriff), Safestore, Inc. Malibu, Calif. $1,500… Lena Tam (Alameda County Supervisor - District 3), C C Yin of Vacaville $5,000… Cheryl Cook-Kallio (Alameda County Board of Education - Area 7), U A Local 342 PAC Fund $5,000...
—Alameda Forward - Yes on B 2022 (Alameda USD bond measure), Stephen Ciari Plumbing and Heating Inc. of San Jose $2,500… Neighbors for the Oakland Library-Yes on C 2022 (Oakland library parcel tax), Oakland Police Officer’s Association PAC $5,000.
—Liz Ortega (20th Assembly District), California Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee $9,700… Alex Lee (24th Assembly District), California Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee $9,700… Teresa Keng (24th Assembly District), Sandy Chau of Moraga $4,900… Mia Bonta (18th Assembly District), Cannabis Distribution Association PAC $2,000… Aisha Wahab (10th State Senate District), Electing Climate Champions Fund $2,900; Re-Elect Scott Wiener for State Senate 2024 $2,900.