Independent expenditure committee targeting Ly in 2018 Elk Grove mayoral race reloads with $25,000 for 2020 elections

An independent expenditure committee that targeted Elk Grove Mayor Steve Ly during the 2018 race has maintained its account and has reloaded with new contributions.

The committee, which calls itself the Alliance to Support the Middle Class, has filed a California Form 460 with the Elk Grove City Clerk's office. The disclosure for an abbreviated period between February 16 and June 30 shows the group received seven donations totaling $25,000 from five groups.

The entities contributing were the following:

• California Apartment Association - $10,000
• Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447 - $10,000
• PG & E - $2,500
• Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 3 - $2,000
• International Assc. of Heat and Frost Insulators Local 16 - $500

During the 2018 Elk Grove mayoral campaign, the ASMC raised $85,500 to defeat Ly, who during that cycle was seeking his second two-year term. Although there were three mayoral candidates in the race and independent expenditure committees cannot coordinate efforts with candidates, the ASMC was viewed as helping Elk Grove City Councilmember Darren Suen, who was challenging Ly.  

With their funding, the ASMC sent mailers target Ly and one of his former campaign consultants and bought social media and internet advertisements against Ly. Even though there was no suggestion of coordination of the negative advertising with his campaign, Suen, who had more endorsements than Ly, was criticized and was compelled to renounce them.

Despite the negative campaign against him, Ly said he would not respond in kind. The ASMC was viewed as hurting Suen, given Ly's comfortable margin of victory.

The ASMC 460 report noted they gave $25,562 to a group calling itself Neighbors Standing together for Steve Hansen for [Sacramento] City Council 2020, sponsored by Building Trades. Hansen, viewed as a rising Democratic political star with strong ties to the development community was seeking his third term in the March primary on the Sacramento City Council but suffer a loss to Progressive Democrat Katie Valenzuela who was outspent by Hansen.  

Unlike 2018, the current year contributors to ASMC included Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 447. In 2018 Ly received several large donations from the powerful labor organization, but as of this year, he has not received any contributions from them. 

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