Alameda County DA race: Wiley received backing from police groups, initially told county Dems differently
AD20: IE drops $15,000 on Liz Ortega; Kumagai gains support from donor who gave Sheriff Ahern's campaign $130,000
ELECTION 2022
ALAMEDA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY
—WILEY’S POLICE BACKING—On a questionnaire provided by the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee last month, it asked perspective candidates for the local party’s support whether they had accepted campaign contributions from groups affiliated with law enforcement and police unions. The questionnaire also asked whether candidates had accepted endorsements from any of the same groups.
—Terry Wiley, a front runner in the open Alameda County District Attorney race this June, responded on the questionnaire that his campaign had not received contributions or endorsements from law enforcement groups.
—Half of the response was untrue. Wiley’s website lists at least two law enforcement groups supporting his campaign—the Alameda County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association and California District Attorney Investigators Association.
—When asked about the discrepancy, Wiley told Alameda County Democrats that he was confused by the question. He believed the question focused solely on police officer unions. “My thinking was police officers associations and not the police chiefs association,” Wiley said.
—Twice during last Saturday’s Alameda County Democratic Central Committee endorsement meeting, Wiley noted his campaign’s support from all 17 police chiefs in Alameda County. “I do not think that the endorsement is an inherent conflict,” Wiley said. “I do think taking money from any police officers association is an inherent conflict.”
—Pamela Price, also a candidate for Alameda County DA this June, pursed her lips and shook her head dismissively upon hearing Wiley’s response. Price told county Democrats that Wiley is violating the central committees rules. “What I see is candidates who have intentionally circumvented our policies by saying, ‘Oh, no. Wink, wink. I’m not accepting money,’ and we know that’s not true.”
—Jimmie Wilson, another candidate for DA, and like Wiley, is an Alameda County prosecutor, but unlike Wiley, admitted on the same questionnaire that his campaign has accepted endorsements from law enforcement.
—AC DEMS BAN ON POLICE $$$—During the 2020 election season, Alameda County Democrats took the official position that candidates seeking the local party’s endorsement had to pledge against accepting campaign contributions from police unions and, specifically, from Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern.
—Just one candidate in 2020 was found to have accepted a donation from law enforcement after 2018. The candidate donated the contribution to a charitable cause and ultimately received the party’s endorsement for their race.
—It’s unclear whether Wiley and Wilson were impacted by their violation of the local party’s rules after none of the four candidates received the 60 percent threshold of support required to win the endorsement for the June primary.
—PRICE TOO HIGH FOR AC DEMS—In fact, the bigger surprise is that Price did not runaway with the endorsement. Price is a longtime and vocal member of the central committee. Two years ago, Price was an architect of the ban on police contributions and endorsements. But Price’s activism at the central committee over the years has often ruffled the feathers of Alameda County Democrats. The same riff, along with clashes with Rob Bonta and his supporters, contributed to Price narrowly losing the 2021 race to become chair of the local party.
20TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT
—ZOOM ZOOM—Politicos watching the race in the 20th Assembly District are trying to figure out where candidate Shawn Kumagai lands on the East Bay’s political spectrum. The growing sentiment suggests that Kumagai is clearly a moderate.
—That belief was only bolstered after the individual who has contributed more than $130,000 to Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern’s campaign made a series of small in-kind donations to Kumagai’s campaign on Monday.
—Inder Dosanjh made the large donations to Ahern’s campaign through several of his Bay Area car dealerships. Dosanjh is one of the biggest car dealers in the state. He contributed $970.20, $372, and $123.87 in-kind payments to Kumagai’s campaign.
—The amounts are small, but the identity of the donor speaks volumes to progressives in the 20th Assembly District. In addition, Kumagai appears to be attempting to turbo-charge his campaign’s finances. He also received a $1,500 contribution on Tuesday from the California New Car Dealers Association Political Action Committee.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—SLATE ALERT—A Statement of Organization for a slate mailer calling itself “East Bay Voter Guide for More Homes” was filed on Tuesday with the state Secretary of State Office.
—MONEYBALL—Here’s a rundown of the large late contributions made to campaigns on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Alameda County Registrar of Voters and the state Secretary of State office:
Yes on Measure A for Livermore Students, Livermore Joint USD parcel tax, Livermore High School PTSA, $2,800; Friends of Joe Michell School, $5,000; William Mendenhall Middle School PTSA, $3,500; Stifel Nicolaus of St. Louis, Mo., $3,000; The Granada Supporters Club, $2,000; Keenan & Associates of Torrance, Calif., $1,000.
Greg Ahern, Alameda County sheriff, Brian Mattos of Hayward, $1,750.
Yesenia Sanchez, Alameda County sheriff, Dale Baum of Oakland, $1,000.
Rebecca Kaplan, Alameda County District 3 supervisor, Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 104 Political Committee, $5,000.
Surlene Grant, Alameda County District 3 supervisor, Juan Byron of Woodside, Calif., $1,999.
Pamela Price, Alameda County District Attorney, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Alameda County Chapter, $1,000.
L.K. Monroe, Alameda County superintendent, Robert Wieckowski for Assembly 2024, $1,000.
Lily Mei, 10th State Senate, ChamberPAC Small Contributor Committee, $4,700.
Liz Ortega, 20th Assembly District, Boxer & Gerson, LLP of Oakland, $4,400, $500.
Jennifer Esteen, 20th Assembly District, Christina Finn of Redwood City, Calif., $1,000; Stephanie Kashima of San Carlos, Calif., $1,000.
Alex Lee, 24th Assembly District, Chris Ward for Assembly 2022, $2,500; Omar Din for Sunnyvale City Council District 6 2020, $1,000.
Teresa Keng, 24th Assembly District, Rosario Tupaz of San Jose, $4,900; James Wu of Sunnyvale, $2,500; Yi Lee Don of Fremont, $1,500; Kashmir Shahi of Union City, $1,000.
Invest In Our Oakland, proposed Oakland progressive tax measure, IFPTE Local 21 Issues PAC, $24,465.