SD10: Wahab continues to lead fundraising race
Oakland settles with Desley Brooks; Mailbox section starts today
ELECTION 2022
10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
—MONEYBALL—It takes a lot of money to run a campaign in California’s gigantic state Senate districts, which include upwards of 1 million people. Reaching that many voters is expensive.
—There appears to be a lot of cash laying around in the East Bay’s 10th State Senate District where Aisha Wahab and Lily Mei have together raised more than $1 million during this election cycle, according to campaign finance reports released on Thursday afternoon.
—Wahab, a Hayward councilmember, continues to hold a fundraising advantage over Fremont Mayor Lily Mei. Wahab raised $167,173 during the most recent fundraising period that runs from Jan. 1 to April 23. Mei, meanwhile, raised just $68,777 during the same period.
—It’s a surprisingly small sum for Mei and raises questions about whether the campaign may have been damaged by the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee’s decision to formally admonish her for past anti-LGBT votes and comments last fall.
—Since last year, Wahab’s campaign has raised $625,876 in contributions, which tops Mei’s $520,917. In addition, Wahab’s campaign is likely to benefit this spring from an independent expenditure committee backed AFSCME Local 2399 that has already been seeded with $500,000.
—Below is a breakdown of Wahab and Mei’s campaign finance reports. The top donors for each candidate is no surprise. Wahab’s campaign is heavily supported by labor unions. Mei’s is backed by business interests, along with Asian and Indian Americans in the Fremont area.
10TH STATE SENATE DISTRICT
AISHA WAHAB (D)—Jan. 1-April 23
Cash on Hand $316,658
Cash IN $167,173
Cash OUT $272,799
Debt $0
Top Donors: SEIU United Healthcare Workers West PAC $19,400; UA Local 342 $9,800; SEIU California State Council Small Contributor Cmte $9,700; IBEW Local 595 $9,700; California Teachers Association Small Contributor Cmte $9,700; AFSCME People Small Contributor Cmte $9,700; SEIU Local 1021 $4,900; Skinner for Senate 2022 $4,900; Hayward Firefighters PAC $4,900
LILY MEI (D)—Jan. 1-April 23
Cash on Hand $245,177
Cash IN $68,777
Cash OUT $158,899
Debt $0
Top Donors: ChamberPac Small Contributor Cmte $5,000; Tesla $4,900; Cal Fuels & Convenience Alliance PAC $4,900; Buck Gee, $4,900; California Medical Association PAC, $4,900; Fremont Firefighters Local 1689, $4,900; C.C. Yin $4,900; Yang Shao for Fremont City Council $4,900; Raj Salwan $4,900.
—Over the next week, I’ll be posting campaign finance reports and analysis from all the East Bay June Primary races.
OAKLAND
—DONNYBROOKS—Former Oakland Councilmember Desley Brooks is in line to receive a $165,000 settlement from Oakland following the city’s ill-fated legal defense of a lawsuit brought on by Black Panther icon Elaine Brown, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Brooks, you may remember, allegedly pushed Brown at the Everett & Jones BBQ restaurant in downtown Oakland, causing Brown injuries. Brown won a $2.2 million judgment and Brooks was on the hook for paying up to $200,000 in damages. The city’s proposed settlement would help Brooks pay the damages.
BERKELEY
—ROUND 2 IN DISTRICT 4—Greg Magofna, a former aide to Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates and co-founder of East Bay for Everyone, is making a second attempt at the Berkeley City Council. Magofna filed an intent this week to challenge Berkeley Councilmember Kate Harrison in District 4. In 2018, Magofna finished third in the District 4 race, garnering 12 percent of the vote.
MAILBOX
SURVEY OF POLITICAL MAILERS IN THE EAST BAY
—TWINSIES—When your assembly campaign’s color palette and mailer design looks too much like the county sheriff that is loathed by progressives in your district. The confluence of mailers here, however, probably doesn’t hurt 20th Assembly District candidate Shawn Kumagai much in the Tri-Valley where Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern is popular.
—DOG LOVER—10th State Senate District candidate Aisha Wahab kicked off the political mailer season with an autobiographical piece. One thing of note: Wahab featured Pookie, her dog, in the mailer. People love dogs. Why don’t more candidates include dogs in their ads? In this case, the gambit should work to create a contrast with her main opponent, Lily Mei, who doesn’t typically exude much warmth.
—LABOR HELP—The influential Alameda Labor Council featured in a mailer this week the most labor-friendly candidates in three big races this June—Aisha Wahab (10th State Senate District), Liz Ortega (20th Assembly District), and Rebecca Kaplan (Alameda County Board of Supervisors in District 3).
—The mailer isn’t much, but where the Alameda Labor Council is sending it is more interesting. Democrats aren’t the only group that supports labor. How about the county’s large set of independent voters? This mailer was sent in from an Insider in Pleasanton who is registered as No Party Preference.
—In case you were wondering, the Alameda Labor Council/AFL-CIO Solidarity PAC has $106,627 in cash on hand through April 23, according to campaign finance reports filed on Wednesday.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE ROUNDUP
Here’s the rest of the late Form 497 Large Contributions from Wednesday:
Seth Steward, Alameda County District Attorney, Sam Ward of Los Angeles, $1,000.
Alysse Castro, Alameda County Superintendent, Lloyd Lehrer of Manhattan Beach, Calif., $7,000.
Liz Ortega, 20th Assembly District, Plumbers and Steamfitters Local No. 467 State Political Action Fund, $4,900.
Alex Lee, 24th Assembly District, Tim Grayson for Assembly 2022, $4,900.