Davis, Hume Lead in Fundraising for City Council Races

Murphey has strong showing; recession hurting contributions?

This weeks required campaign finance filings for five of the six candidates vying for two seats on the Elk Grove City Council revealed two things – incumbents continue to have an advantage in fundraising and the Great Recession seems to have dried up contributions.

For the period ending September 30, 2010, incumbents Gary Davis and Pat Hume raised $26,698 and $19,486 respectively in cash and non-monetary contributions. Davis has a cash balance of $67,709 and Hume has $29,968 which includes a $25,000 personal loan.

George Murphey, who is challenging Hume for the District 2 seat, had a strong showing raising $12,885 in cash and non-monetary contributions. Murphey also loaned his campaign $20,050 and has a current balance of $24,654.

Davies Ononiwu, who is also challenging Hume raised $1,660 and loaned his campaign $6,000. Jimmie Johnson, who is challenging Davis for the District 4 seat, raised $500 in non-monetary contributions and loaned his campaign $25,000.

The sixth candidate, James White, who is challenging Davis, has not submitted a report. White has stated he does not intend to accept contributions for his campaign.

Great Recession dampens contributions

In the races for District 2 and 4, the cash flowing into the campaigns is substantially less that it was four years ago when Davis and Hume respectively beat incumbents Dan Briggs and Rick Soares.

This time four years ago Davis has generated $36,857 and Hume $59,885.   

By the time the 2006 campaigns were over, Davis generated $217,942 and Hume $210,559.

The big difference for Hume this year has been the real estate bloodbath that seriously hampered or outright put his major contributors out of business. One example has been the collapse of Sacramento based Reynen & Bardis.

During the 2006 election Reynen & Bardis collectively and individually contributed $68,905. The real estate developer, which had interests in Elk Grove real estate developments, subsequently collapsed. John Reynen and Christo Bardis also filed personal bankruptcies.

This time around Hume has received only $4,000 in contribution from Granite Bay-based real estate developers Niemi Development Partners and M. Craig Nagler and from Sacramento-based St. Anton Partners.

While Davis is too not far off pace this year as compared to the same time in 2006, the bulk of his post September 30 contributions came from a more diverse contributor base than Hume.

While Davis also received significant real estate money, he also had strong support from several area labor organizations, which Hume did not have in 2006. Ononawu, who has strong labor backing, will likely be the beneficiary of any labor contributions for the District 2 race.