Union Pacific Railroad Files Campaign Disclosure With Elk Grove - Who Benefited?

July 31, 2014 |

The Elk Grove City Council received a California 461 filing yesterday from Union Pacific Railroad. The city clerk's office received this filing because the Fortune 500 company, who made $90,250 in donations in California during the first six months of 2014, contributed to an Elk Grove City Council candidate.

While most of the 45 donations made by the rail and energy behemoth went to high-profile candidates such as Gov. Jerry Brown, Democratic State Assembly Speaker Toni Adkins and state assembly and senate candidates, there were a smattering of local candidates who benefited. 

Among them was Elk Grove City Council District 4 candidate Steve Ly. The document (see page 11) reports that Ly, who has served on the Elk Grove Unified School District for less than two years, received $250 on June 2.

Ly, who is in what is thought to be the most competitive race of the Elk Grove City Council seat's up for election this year, has yet to report his fundraising for the first six months of 2014. Ly's main opponent, fellow Democrat and current Elk Grove Planning Commissioner Nancy Chaires, has not yet reported either.