Once a risky move, police unions line up against Price
Police unions across the county pledge financial support for Price recall. Plus, a big batch of campaign finance data
ELECTION 2024
29 days to Election Day
PRICE RECALL
—UNIFIED AGAINST PRICE—All over the election map campaigns are beginning to show their cards. Independent expenditure committees are jumping into action, and new committees are seemingly sprouting from nowhere.
—Last week, we saw the opening salvo from the group leading the recall of Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with the endorsement of their effort by Rep. Eric Swalwell.
—The other shoe dropped on Saturday with the announcement that police unions from all 13 cities are backing the Price recall.
—Last Thursday, there were indications the police unions were girding up for something. Police unions in Oakland and Alameda contributed $10,000 apiece to the recall campaign.
—A total of $50,000 is expected to flow from the police unions to the recall effort, according to a source.
—On Friday, the Alameda County Prosecutors' Association added $40,000 to Supporters of Recall Pamela Price, according to finance records.
—However, the move by the police unions over the weekend was once viewed as a major risk.
—Although rank-and-file at some local police departments have been clamoring for their unions to voice criticism of the DA over the past year, there was a clear strategy to avoid any public engagement with Price.
—Voicing public criticism of Price ran the risk of allowing her to shift the focus of the recall from her actions and policies to law enforcement’s past misconduct.
—In places like Oakland, poll after poll show the police department is very unpopular, making any attack by the union against Price would fall right into her hands.
—A similar line of thinking involves former Alameda County DA Nancy O’Malley, who has been belittled by Price for the past two years.
—O’Malley has held her tongue throughout the onslaught, although O’Malley’s money has spoken in the form a small contribution to the Price recall campaign.
THAO RECALL
—HELP FROM HER FRIENDS—Oaklanders Defending Democracy, the committee opposing the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao has been somewhat of a solitary endeavor.
—The committee raised just $26,000 since mid-year. Thao, by way of a $3,000 loan to the committee, is one of its top donors. In addition, Thao is serving as its treasurer.
—Over the weekend, the Oaklanders Defending Democracy kicked off their campaign a little late in the game with just a month before Election Day, and a few days from vote-by-mail ballots arriving in mailboxes.
—SEIU Local 1021, the union that spent heavily two years ago to get Thao elected to the mayor’s office, is making a push to keep her there,
—The powerful union contributed $50,000 to Oaklanders Defending Democracy over the weekend. It’s a small amount when matched against the group seeking to recall Thao, which has spent $600,000 this year, through the Sept. 21 reporting period.
—MY DOG ATE MY BALLOT STATEMENT—Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, indeed, forgot to submit a ballot statement for the voter information guide. Missing deadlines has been a hallmark of the Thao’s administration, going back to claims she failed to file paperwork in time in 2022 to run for mayor.
—One interesting tidbit in an article in the San Francisco Chronicle highlighting the flub submittal is that Thao’s recall campaign is led by William Fitzgerald. He was formerly helping out the campaign to oppose DA Pamela Price’s recall.
—SUPPORT FOR THAO RECALL—The Oakland NAACP will announce its support of the recall against Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao this morning at a press conference, starting at 10 a.m.
—The endorsement is not at all surprising. The Oakland NAACP led the initial push for seeking Thao’s recall after she fired Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong last year. Armstrong is running this fall for the Oakland City Council’s at-large seat.
—In a twist that few could have predicted at the beginning of this year, Armstrong could be walking into Oakland City Hall at the same time Thao is walking out.
RECALL CAMPAIGN FINANCE
PRICE RECALL
SUPPORTERS OF RECALL PAMELA PRICE—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $70,000*
Cash OUT $42,344
Total Cash IN (2024) $1,306,429
Total Cash OUT (2024) $1,574,982
Loans $701,665
Cash on Hand $32,550
Top Donors: Revitalize East Bay Committee, $30,000; PG&E, $20,000; Construction & General Laborers’ Local 304, $10,000; Northern California District Council of Laborers PAC, $10,000.
*Revitalize East Bay Committee has contributed $218,000 since the reporting period.
SAVE ALAMEDA FOR EVERYONE—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $11,864
Cash OUT $15,659
Total Cash IN (2024) $587,127
Total Cash OUT (2024) $655,400
Loans $15,725
Cash on Hand $6,390
Top Donors: Matthew Beltramo of Lafayette, $2,000; James Lee of Alameda, $1,000; Allison Sanger of Oakland, $1,000; Charlynn Weissenbach of Castro Valley, $1,000.
PROTECT THE WIN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, OPPOSE THE RECALL OF DA PRICE—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $109,838
Cash OUT $130,303
Total Cash IN (2024) $272,321
Total Cash OUT (2024) $275,670
Loans $4,999
Cash on Hand $61,115
Top Donors/Notables: Scott Hendler of Austin, Tex., $10,000; Crowley Norman LLP of Houston, $10,000; Americans 4 Hindus-California, $5,000; Progressive Era PAC, $5,000.
PRICE RECALL
OAKLANDERS DEFENDING DEMOCRACY, OPPOSE THE RECALL OF MAYOR THAO—Jan. 1-June 30
Cash IN $26,832
Cash OUT $9,758
Total Cash IN (2024) $28,677
Total Cash OUT (2024) $9,836
Loans $3,000
Cash on Hand $18,840
Top Donors/Notables: Quinn Delaney of Piedmont, $10,000; Ty Mitchell of San Francisco, $5,000; Sheng Thao of Oakland, $3,000 (loan); Proverb Strategy Advisors, $2,500.
OAKLAND UNITED TO RECALL SHENG THAO—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $8,265
Cash OUT 23,790
Total Cash IN (2024) $581,221
Total Cash OUT (2024) $598,857
Loans $30,910
Cash on Hand $298
Top Donors/Notables: Marty Glick of Piedmont, $2,618.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - DISTRICT 5
—MY DOG ATE MY FINANCE REPORT—Alameda County supervisorial candidate Nikki Fortunato Bas raised $125,132 during the summer reporting period that covers July 1 through Sept. 21. Bas reported $136,117 in cash reserves for the stretch run to the Nov. 5 runoff.
—As for her opponent, John Bauters, we have no idea how much his campaign raised during the same period and who made the contributions. Bauters’ finance report is two weeks late.
—The absence of Bauters’ finance report is worrisome since the independent expenditure committee (IE) supporting his campaign has attracted large contributions from groups that his campaign would rather not share direct ties, such as police unions.
—Pre-election campaign finance reports and 24-hour reporting deadlines for large contributions were created to ensure the public can follow the money at the most pivotal stage of the election, which is right now.
JOHN BAUTERS—July 1-Sept. 21
No Report
BAUTERS FOR A SAFER EAST BAY—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $12,023
Cash OUT $20,737
Total Cash IN (2024) $65,523
Total Cash OUT (2024) $41,089
Loans/Debts $4,400
Cash on Hand $28,834
Top donors: John Carlo Heywood of Piedmont, $3,000; Oakland Police Officer's Association PAC, $2,500; Peace Officers Research Association of California, $2,500.
NIKKI FORTUNATO BAS—July 1-Sept. 21
Cash IN $125,132
Cash OUT $115,808
Total Cash IN (2024) $549,013
Total Cash OUT (2024) $486,725
Loans/Debts $41,943
Cash on Hand $136,117
Top donors: Alameda Labor Council AFL-CIO Unity PAC, $20,000; Dignity CA SEIU Local 2015, $20,000; Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County PAC, $10,000; Unite Here TIP State and Local Fund, $5,000; Sprinkler Fitters & Apprentices Local 483 PAC, $5,000.
DUBLIN MEASURE II
—ALL EYES ON II—To most of the county, Dublin’s Measure II seems to be an innocuous initiative. The ballot measure asks Dublin residents to approve a 1.5-mile land donation connecting Dublin Boulevard to North Canyons Parkway.
—But the issue has triggered large contributions on both sides. Open space advocates, fortified by a group named Save Mount Diablo, added $50,000 on Friday to the campaign opposing Measure II.
—Livbor-Manning LLC, a group with ties to the properties included in Measure II, pumped $29,500 into the campaign supporting the ballot measure on Friday, in addition two unions added a total of $10,000.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
—BANK NOTES—Fremont Firefighters Local 1689 contributed $25,000 over the weekend to Golden State PAC 2024. It’s not clear what interests the firefighters union might have in the PAC, but all signs point to Fremont’s increasingly combative mayor’s race.
—Most likely, the PAC will be used to support Fremont mayoral candidate Raj Salwan and oppose his opponent, Vinnie Bacon.
—Golden State PAC 2024 raised little until after the mid-year, according to state finance records. The PAC raised $68,500 through the Sept. 21 reporting period. Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert transferred $25,000 from his re-election account to Golden State PAC 2024 in July.
—💰MONEYBALL—Form 497 large campaign contributions filed on Oct. 4-6:
ALAMEDA COUNTY
—Alameda County Democratic Central Committee, Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 104 Political Committee, $5,000; California Teachers Association Association for Better Citizenship, $2,000. TOTAL: $7,000.
RECALLS
—Supporters Of Recall Pamela Price (Price recall), Alameda County Prosecutors' Association, $40,000. TOTAL: $40,000.
—Oaklanders Defending Democracy, Oppose the Recall of Mayor Thao (Oppose Thao recall), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $50,000. TOTAL: $50,000.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—John Bauters (District 5), Blue Shield of California, $7,500. TOTAL: $7,500.
—Nikki Fortunato Bas (District 5), Bay Area Citizens PAC, $1,000. TOTAL: $1,000.
EAST BAY MUD
—Jim Oddie (Ward 5), Int’l Union of Operating Engineers Stationary Engineers Local 39, $2,000; Building and Construction Trades Council of Alameda County PAC, $2,000. TOTAL: $4,000.
EAST BAY REGIONAL PARK DISTRICT
—Casey Farmer (Ward 2), Oakland United Democratic Campaign, $5,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
CITIES
BERKELEY
—Berkeleyans for Effective Climate Action, No on GG (Opposing fossil fuel tax), Sutter Health, $10,000; 2274 Shattuck QOZB, LLC, $5,000; William Schrader, Jr. of Alamo, $2,500. TOTAL: $17,500.
DUBLIN
—Save Dublin Open Space, No on Measure II (Opposes land donation), Save Mount Diablo, $50,000. TOTAL: $50,000.
—Keep Dublin Moving - YES on II 2024 (Supports land donation), Livbor-Manning LLC of Carson City, Nev., $29,500; Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union 342, $5,000; Sheet Metal Workers Local Union 104 Issues Committee, $5,000. TOTAL: $39,500.
FREMONT
—Ganesh Balamitran (Fremont USD-Area 4), Fremont Unified District Teachers Association PAC, $5,500. TOTAL: $5,500.
—Support Fremont Schools (Supporting Measure M bond measure), Michael Blach Including Aggregated Contributions, $5,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
HAYWARD
—Angela Andrews (Hayward City Council), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,743; Landis Graden of Dublin, $1,000. TOTAL: $2,743.
—Francisco Zermeño (Hayward City Council), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,743. TOTAL: $1,743.
—Ray Bonilla, Jr. (Hayward City Council), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,743. TOTAL: $1,743.
—Daniel Goldstein (Hayward City Council), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $1,000.
—Protect Hayward's Future Supporting Measure K1 2024 (Supporting Measure K1 sales tax measure), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $20,000. TOTAL: $20,000.
OAKLAND
—Zac Unger (Oakland City Council-District 1), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $1,000.
—Carroll Fife (Oakland City Council-District 3), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200; D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $2,200.
—Noel Gallo (Oakland City Council-District 5), Oakland United Democratic Campaign, $4,000; D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
—Erin Armstrong (Oakland City Council 5), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Iris Merriouns (Oakland City Council-District 7), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Rowena Brown (Oakland City Council-At-large), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200; D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $2,200.
—Charlene Wang (Oakland City Council-At-large), Operating Engineers Local Union 3 District 20 PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Rachel Latta (Oakland USD-District 1), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Benjamin Salop (Oakland USD-District 1), Families in Action for Justice, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—VanCedric Williams (Oakland City Council 3), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Sasha Ritzie-Hernandez (Oakland City Council-District 5), SEIU Local 1021 Candidate PAC, $1,200. TOTAL: $1,200.
—Ryan Richardson (Oakland City Attorney), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $1,000.
—Together for Oakland’s Families, in Support of Warren Logan for City Council 2024 (Supports Warren), Revitalize East Bay Committee, $90,000. TOTAL: $90,000.
—Oaklanders for Common Sense Supporting Warren Logan for City Council 2024 (Supports Warren), Revitalize East Bay Committee, $15,000. TOTAL: $15,000.
—Fix Our City Oakland, Supporting Carroll Fife for City Council 2024 - Sponsored by labor organizations (Supports Fife), IFPTE Local 21 TJ Anthony PAC Fund, $15,000. TOTAL: $15,000.
—Oakland Citizens for Public Safety, Supporting Zac Unger for City Council 2024 (Supports Fife), Berkeley Firefighters Association Local 1227 PAC, $2,000; an Jose Firefighters (IAFF) Local 230 PAC, $1,000. TOTAL: $3,000.
—Oaklanders Together - For A Safe Oakland (Supports Measure NN parking/parcel tax), Oakland United Democratic Campaign, $5,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
—Make Oakland Wildfire Safe, Yes on MM (Supports parcel tax), IAFF Local 55 PAC, $10,000; PG&E Corporation and Affiliated Entities, $5,200. TOTAL: $15,200.
SAN LEANDRO
—Bryan Azevedo (San Leandro City Council District 2), D.R.I.V.E. (The PAC of the Int'l Brhd of Teamsters), $1,000. TOTAL: $1,000.
UNION CITY
—Gary Singh (Union City Mayor), Gary Singh of Union City, $15,000. TOTAL: $15,000.
—Emily Duncan (Union City Mayor), Emily Duncan of Union City, $2,000. TOTAL: $2,000.
—Melanie Freeberg (New Haven USD-Area 2), Steamfitters Local 342 PAC, $3,000. TOTAL: $3,000.
—Union City Residents for Financial Stability, Yes on Measure QQ (Supports business license tax increase), California Workers' Justice Coalition sponsored by Service Employees International Union Local 1021, $13,640. TOTAL: $13,640.
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE SENATE
—Jesse Arreguin (7th Senate District), IBEW PAC, $5,000; California New Car Dealers Association PAC, $2,000; Zurich American Insurance Company, $1,500; Bay Area Citizens PAC, $1,000. TOTAL: $9,500.
—Jerry McNerney (5th Senate District), AFSCME CA People Small Contributor Committee, $5,500; California State Council of Laborers PAC, $5,500; Linda Morasch of Alamo, $2,500; Glenn Ikemoto of Sonoma, $1,000; Lawrence Brooke of San Luis Obispo, Calif., $1,000; John Comiskey of San Jose, $1,000; Ernst Law Group, $1,000; Golden State Restaurant Group, Inc., $1,000. TOTAL: $19,500.
—James Shoemaker (5th Senate District), Golden Bear Insurance Co., $2,500. TOTAL: $2,500.
STATE ASSEMBLY
—Buffy Wicks (14th Assembly District), Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC, $2,500; Int’l Merchandising Co. LLC, $1,500. TOTAL: $4,000.
—Mia Bonta (18th Assembly District), California Association of Health Facilities PAC, $4,000; Teamsters Local No. 853 PAC, $1,000. TOTAL: $5,000.
—Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (16th Assembly District), AFSCME CA People Small Contributor Committee, $5,500; California State Council of Laborers PAC, $2,500 TOTAL: $8,000.
—Alex Lee (24th Assembly District), AFSCME CA People Small Contributor Committee, $5,500; California State Council of Laborers PAC, $3,000 TOTAL: $8,500.
—🧾EXPENDITURES—Form 496 Independent Expenditure Reports filed on Oct. 4-6.
STATE LEGISLATURE
STATE SENATE
—Jesse Arreguín (7th Senate District), Housing Providers for Responsible Solutions, sponsored by housing providers. SUPPORT (Mailer—$58,322). TOTAL: $58,322.
COUNTY
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—Nikki Fortunato Bas (District 5), Supporting Bauters and Opposing Nikki Bas for Supervisor 2024. OPPOSE (Online ads—$230,000; Research—$7,500; Consulting—$3,750). TOTAL: $241,250.
—John Bauters (District 5), Supporting Bauters and Opposing Nikki Bas for Supervisor 2024. SUPPORT (Consulting—$3,750). TOTAL: $3,750.
CITIES
LIVERMORE
—Kristie Wang (Livermore City Council-District ), California Real Estate PAC. SUPPORT (Mailer—$6,838). TOTAL: $6,838.
—Steven Dunbar (Livermore City Council-District ), California Real Estate PAC. SUPPORT (Mailer—$6,842). TOTAL: $6,842.
OAKLAND
—Carroll Fife (Oakland City Council-District 3), California Real Estate Independent Expenditure Committee. OPPOSE (Polling—$29,750; Mailer—16,720; Research—7,760). TOTAL: $54,230.
—LeRonne Armstrong (Oakland City Council-At-large), Citizens For A Brighter Oakland Future - Armstrong for Council 2024. SUPPORT (Consulting—$3,000). TOTAL: $3,000.
