Supervisor Candidates Spend Less Than in 1994

Top fund-raiser has collected less than half what DeSaulnier raised to get elected back in 1994

By Rebecca Rosen Lum

Although they have traded barbs over the source of their funding, candidates for outgoing Supervisor Mark DeSaulnier's seat have compiled only modest treasuries, campaign finance disclosure statements show.

The top fund-raiser, Concord Mayor Susan Bonilla, has garnered $66,000 -- less than half what DeSaulnier raised to get elected in 1994.

Bonilla gathered more than $56,000 in the most recent filing period, which ended Friday. Trade and public employee unions made up the bulk of her donors. She has spent more than $70,000.

Gary Eberhart, a trustee and former president of the Mount Diablo Unified School District, has raised close to $49,000 -- $42,000 in this filing period. He has spent more than $42,000.

His donations come from businesses, unions and individuals, including family members. His big-ticket donors include the national office of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO, which contributed $2,000; Public Employees Union Local 1, which gave $1,000; and Plumbing and Pipe Fitters Local No. 342, contributing $1,675.

Kris Hunt, a former auditor on leave as executive director of the Contra Costa Taxpayers Association, has raised nearly $45,000 -- $31,000 this period. She has spent more than $25,000.

Her contributors include the county's two top finance officers, auditor-controller Steve Ybarra and treasurer-tax collector Bill Pollacek, and an assortment of developers, builders, financial professionals and business owners. Among her most generous donors are the Lincoln Club of Northern California, which supports Republican candidates for office, and the Contra Costa Council, which advocates for economic development. Each contributed $1,000. She loaned herself $5,000.

She also racked up more small donors than her rivals: 75 individuals gave $100 or less.

Conrad Dandridge, a federal security supervisor whose purview is the Oakland Airport, loaned himself $500 and spent less than $300.

Early on, Dandridge said he planned to substitute monetary donations with volunteer labor.

"Mailers, signs, the traditional ways -- I have to question that (when candidates) are telling voters they're doing things a new way," he said.

Bonilla's campaign has taken swipes at Hunt for accepting money from developers. Eberhart has criticized Bonilla as mayor for taking contributions from Garaventa Enterprises just before the Concord City Council voted on the waste collector's contract.

"Lawful or not, it's just not ethical," Eberhart said.

"It's the nature of political campaigns that people involved in the community support candidates," Bonilla countered. "To imply that that guarantees preferential treatment is offensive."

Hunt said only that she is proud of her broad base of support and number of small contributors.

But the race is so far significant for its lack of contributors. Oil refineries, waste management companies and high-profile developers have not donated to any of the supervisorial candidate's campaigns.

They may still contribute, and to independently finance direct pitches to voters. Wednesday, a color mailer paid for by Chevron, ConcoPhilips and Tesoro landed in mailboxes touting Bonilla, who has said she will not take donations from developers or oil refineries.

Big donors may be tapped out from the November special election, or holding back for a possible runoff, said Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies.

"This is amazing," he said. "This is the first call I've gotten all year saying a race is costing less than in previous years. This is a total anomaly."

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