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SANTA CRUZ >> A window into Santa Cruz County campaign finance opened this week with new campaign donors lists for money given Jan. 1 to June 30. 

Below are the fundraising totals for that period. Santa Cruz Local follows the city council races in Watsonville, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Capitola — as well as the District 1 county supervisor runoff. Santa Cruz Local will shine a light on campaign finances in those races.

Donor lists offer a glimpse at who supports the candidates. Santa Cruz Local has curated the notable donors to each campaign for donations from January through June.

Criteria for the lists:

  • Donors who reside outside Santa Cruz County are listed because outside money funds local campaigns.
  • Donors who are current or former public officials or running for office.
  • Donors who head major local businesses or organizations.
  • Committees and groups.

Candidates for District 1 county supervisor

Manu Koenig
John Leopold

Manu Koenig raised $75,225.38. Noted donors: UC Santa Cruz Development Director Christy Tall ($100), Gayle’s Bakery owner and former Capitola mayor Gayle Ortiz ($500), local philanthropist William Simpkins ($500), Rail Trail opponent Keith Otto ($200), Denver, Colo. resident Keir Myers, former Santa Cruz City Councilmember Pamela Comstock ($500), Santa Cruz resident and Santa Cruz Together chairwoman Lynn Renshaw ($200), San Jose resident Keshav Kumar ($150), San Francisco resident James Madsen ($100), Menlo Park resident Gregg Medaglia ($100), Amsterdam resident Marnix Hollander ($100), Carmel residents Kip Myers and Jenn Nuckton ($500 each), Denver, Colo. resident Beth Myers ($500), Seattle, Wash. resident Sarah Stevens ($500), San Diego residents Ellen and Gordon Knight ($500 each), Carmel resident Leah Myers ($500), Campbell resident Spencer Thompson ($100), Los Gatos residents Toby Corey and Susan Corey ($500 each), Community Foundation Santa Cruz County board president David Doolin ($500), Pleasanton resident Denise Del Piano ($100), San Jose resident James Vaudagna ($100), Ross, Calif. resident Cynthia Snorf ($100), Waimea, Hawaii resident Judith Flanders ($500), Windsor, Calif. resident Mark Millan ($100), Denver, Colo. resident Janice Ann Kahler ($100), Carmel resident Alen Bienenfeld ($100), Monterey Bay Aquarium Director Julie Packard ($500), Solvang, Calif. resident Catherine Firestone ($500), Aromas resident Brie Smith ($500), Cherryvale, Calif. resident Jenny Schindler ($100), Nogales, Ariz. resident Alfredo Che Guevera ($100), Atherton, Calif. residents Guy and Beth Kawasaki ($500 each), Menlo Park resident Mason Brutschy ($500). 

Incumbent John Leopold raised $42,427. Noted donors: Emergency Services Manager for the County of Santa Cruz Rosemary Anderson ($100); Hollister resident Victor Gomez ($250), Moss Landing resident Amy Harte ($100), Hollister resident Erin Henningsen ($200), Loma Prieta Winery owner Amy Kemp, Warren, New Jersey resident Jack Lacy ($200), Gateway Health Management CEO Vance Landis-Carey ($500), former Santa Cruz County Supervisor Gary Patton ($100), UC Santa Cruz professor and Santa Cruz Planning Commissioner Andy Schiffrin ($100), San Jose-based Bay Area Municipal Election Committee ($600), Hope Valley resident John Brissenden ($500), Salinas resident and CEO of La Vida Verde Julie Brooks ($500), Genesco, New York resident Barry Caplan ($500), Santa Cruz Community Health Centers Executive Director Leslie Conner ($350), Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County ($400), San Francisco resident Christine Echavia ($500), Los Gatos resident Anne Fowler ($200), Los Gatos resident Brooks Griffin ($100), Chico resident Steve Kennedy ($500), Los Gatos resident Sanjay Khandelwal ($200), San Jose resident Robert LaRiviere ($200), Los Gatos resident Larry Lopp ($500), Villanova, Penn. resident Mia Marcovici ($250), Operating Engineers Local 3-District 90 ($1,000), Los Gatos resident Vikki Pachera ($200), Los Gatos resident Laura Parker ($300), People’s Democratic Club of Santa Cruz County ($250), Los Gatos resident Susan Sanders ($200), SEIU Local 521 ($500), Spickler for Cabrillo College Trustee ($200) and San Rafael resident Christian Strachwitz ($300).

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Candidates for Scotts Valley City Council 

Incumbent Jack Dilles is the only candidate who has qualified so far. He reported $0 in donations. 

John Lewis and incumbents Donna Lind and Randy Johnson have pulled papers to run for council. Lind and Johnson did not raise money through June 30.

Candidates for Capitola City Council 

Incumbent Kristen Petersen raised $1,250. There were no notable donors. 

No fundraising forms are posted for candidates Anthony Rovai, Dennis Norton and Margaux Keiser. Will Reising has pulled papers to run, and has no fundraising forms posted.

Candidates for Watsonville City Council District 2 

Incumbent Aurelio Gonzelez raised $2,375. Raymond Cancino, the CEO of Community Bridges, is a notable donor ($150). 

No fundraising forms are posted for candidate Vanessa Quiroz-Carter.

Candidates for Watsonville City Council District 1

Potential candidate Eduardo Montesino reported $0 in donations.

Candidates for Watsonville City Council District 6

No fundraising forms are posted for candidate Jimmy Dutra and potential candidates Richard Valdez and Tony Gomez.

Candidates for Santa Cruz City Council

Incumbent Martine Watkins reported $2 in donations. Incumbent Sandy Brown reported $0.

Incumbent Katherine Beiers, who took office this year, has not pulled papers to run, but reported $2,464 raised through June 30. Most of those donations came before the March 3 election.

No fundraising forms are posted for potential candidates Sonja Brunner, Kayla Kumar, Maria Cadenas, Kelsey Hill, Alicia Kuhl and candidates Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson and Elizabeth Conlan.

Potential candidate Richelle Noroyan reported $0.


Contributing reporter | + posts

Matthew Renda is a freelance writer who has garnered multiple awards for his reporting. His work has appeared in the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the Mercury News, CNET, CBS News, The Atlantic and Outside Magazine. He lives in Watsonville with his wife, Jessica, and their two children.

[email protected] | Website | + posts

Kara Meyberg Guzman is the CEO and co-founder of Santa Cruz Local. ​Prior to Santa Cruz Local, she served as the Santa Cruz Sentinel’s managing editor. She has a biology degree from Stanford University and lives in Santa Cruz.