Moneyball: Loren Taylor, Sheng Thao sit atop Oakland mayor fundraising race

San Leandro Mayor: Newcomer Juan Gonzalez tops money race; Former DA candidate Seth Steward is running again.

Oakland mayoral candidates Sheng Thao, Allyssa Victory, and Loren Taylor at a forum last week. Thao and Taylor posted strong mid-year campaign finance reports this week. PHOTO/Steve Tavares.

ELECTION 2022

CAMPAIGN FINANCE

—MONEYBALL—The dreaded—at least for me—August recess is in full bloom. Elected officials all over the East Bay are recharging in exotic locales, and they need it. Attending virtual council meeting while wearing your pajamas is exhausting work.

—Thank goodness, this is an election year, and a big one at that. Today, let’s look at the fundraising outlook in the big Oakland mayoral race, and the still-forming, perhaps, destined to be underwhelming Oakland City Council races. Later, I’ll take a look at fundraising in San Leandro’s similarly open mayoral race, and it’s City Council contests.

OAKLAND MAYOR

—TAYLOR MADE—Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor is sitting on the biggest pile of cash, according to mid-year campaign finance reports released this week. But fellow city council colleague and mayoral candidate Sheng Thao raised the most cash. The difference is largely because Thao spent more money over the past six months than Taylor did.

—Taylor’s campaign begins the final 100 days to Election Day with $268,000 cash on hand. Thao reported $213,000. While Taylor’s haul is mainly bolstered by individual contributors, Thao’s is benefitting greatly from union labor support, according to finance reports. This dynamic is not surprising.

—Treva Reid, the third current councilmember making up the Big 3 in this race, raised $149,000, according to mid-year finance reports. Former Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente had been planning his mayoral run for some time, but only recently cranked up his fundraising efforts.

—While De La Fuente raised only $20,000, most of his contributions were maxed-out $900 donations. Perhaps, fittingly for the tough-talking, fun-loving, tequila-drinking ex-official, De La Fuente received four maxed-out contributions from Mexican restaurants. This makes it almost a certainty that De La Fuente’s campaign events this fall will have the best spread in the East Bay…

MORE INSIDE:

• Oakland Mayor, City Council campaign finance capsules

• San Leandro Mayor, City Council campaign finance analysis, capsules

• Seth Steward’s second act

• Who pulled papers today?