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Luce leads in fundraising race
Monday, August 04, 2008
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The races for supervisor in District 2 and District 5 have  already cost a bundle, with District 2 incumbent Mark Luce and District 5 candidate Rich Jager raising the most money.

Luce finished first in funds and first among District 2 candidates, earning 47 percent of the vote. He faces former Napa City Councilmember Harry Martin in the November runoff.
Jager’s fundraising prowess was not enough to get him into the November runoff for District 5. Former American Canyon Fire Chief Keith Caldwell and former Napa County Sheriff Gary Simpson are vying to replace retiring incumbent Harold Moskowite.

District 5 includes American Canyon, Coombsville and southwest Napa.
According to the latest campaign finance reports, Luce raised $116,400 and spent close to $102,000 between July 2007 and June 30. More than half of that money was raised in the fall of 2007.

In the most recent funding period, from mid-May to the end of June, Luce’s top donations included $3,500 from the McClelland-Priest Bed and Breakfast and more than $3,300 from the Bill Dodd for Supervisor campaign. Dodd raised more than $117,000 in his bid for re-election, and ran unopposed for the District 1 seat in June.
Contributors of $1,000 to Luce included Andrews and Thornley Construction Inc., Altamura Enterprises, GT Gamble, Nova Group Inc., Clarke Swanson, the California Real Estate Political Action Committee and Stagecoach Vineyards.

Martin did not meet the July 31 deadline to file the latest report. He said he will file on Monday.

Martin was not a major fundraiser in most of his city council races and the same has been true in this campaign. Before the June 3 election, he reported raising $1,755 and spending $1,228 between Jan.1 and March 18.

Third-place finisher Mike Rodrigues, a member of the Napa Valley Land Stewards Alliance, reported raising more than $26,000 and spending about $21,500 between January and June 30, finishing the race with a $5,000 cash balance. Rodrigues narrowly missed beating Martin for second place and a spot in the runoff.

District 2 includes north Napa, Yountville and western Napa County.

District 5

Jager, a Napa County Planning Commissioner, raised about $80,600 between July 1, 2007 and June 30, campaign finance reports show.

Jager, who received 24 percent of the votes, spent close to $79,000 since last summer.

Caldwell, who finished first with about 33 percent of all votes cast, raised about $30,000 between July 2007 and June 30, according to campaign finance reports.

In the most recent filing period, Caldwell’s most generous supporter was the CDF Firefighters, who gave $1,500.

Simpson, who finished in second place with 28 percent of the votes, raised a total of about $62,000 between July 2007 and June 30, 2008 and has spent most of it.

As of June 30, Simpson had $1,500 left on hand.

His biggest donor in the period ending June 30 was the Service Employees International Union, which donated $1,021.

Cindy Coffey, a member of the American Canyon City Council who finished fourth in the June run for the District 5 seat, did not file her campaign finance forms for the most recent period.

On Friday, she stated in an e-mail that she will file the forms Monday.

In May, Coffey reported raising a total of $8,200 for her race, including $5,000 from developer Peter Stravinksy, head of ICC Stravinsky of Madera.
2 comment(s)

doscentavos wrote on Aug 4, 2008 2:11 PM:

" If the way they spend money to be elected is any reflection of how they handle county money..we are in trouble.
Some candidates are too busy to even follow simple elections rules and file the necessary forms..again a reflection of the way they approach rules..for everyone else, not me.
Sad. If this is the best we have to choose from "

bettye wrote on Aug 4, 2008 11:55 PM:

" I think it is very sad that we hear so much about who can raise the most money .. does that mean they will be a better leader or that they know more people with money ? I am SO weary of politics !!! "

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