San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz and Hollister
Councilwoman Eugenia Sanchez have raised minimal amounts of money
and their candidacies are uncertain.
By Donna Jones
If you’re counting cash, Watsonville Mayor Luis Alejo is ahead in the campaign to be the Democratic Party’s nominee for the 28th Assembly District.
Alejo, who has been actively stumping for the better part of a year for the seat being vacated by Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, is outpacing veteran Salinas Councilwoman Janet Barnes and Gilroy school board member Francisco Dominguez by wide margins, according to reports filed last week.
San Benito County Supervisor Jaime De La Cruz and Hollister Councilwoman Eugenia Sanchez have raised minimal amounts of money and their candidacies are uncertain.
De La Cruz reported no contributions between July 1 and Dec. 31, and he refunded $3,000 of the $3,349 he collected earlier in the year. Asked about his intentions, he said he’d make an announcement soon.
Sanchez, who reported $850 in contributions in 2009, did not return phone calls. But she refunded $200 to one donor.
Richard Shephard, Allen Lloyd Barker and Robert Bernosky are seeking the GOP nomination but have reported no contributions.
Alejo reported raising $61,316 in cash and in-kind contributions in 2009.
A couple of contributions sure to raise eyebrows are the $1,000 from the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Co., and the $250 from Sandra Avila of San Jose, both with ties to Manny Diaz.
As an assemblyman Diaz employed Alejo, and, now as a lobbyist, he is pushing Watsonville officials to back controversial water fluoridation. Burlington Northern is a client of Diaz. Avila is his wife.
Alejo, saying the city had no choice due to legal requirements, recently voted to fluoridate the water supply. But he said Diaz has neither contributed to his campaign nor discussed with him any interest group or company he represents.
“I have earned the broadest range of support from throughout the region, including business, educators, labor, community, environmentalists and elected leaders,” Alejo said.
Among Alejo’s larger contributions were $3,900 from grocery chain Mi Pueblo San Jose Inc., $2,500 from Operating Engineers, Local 3, $2,600 from George Couch III, $2,000 from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians of Temecula, and $1,000 from the Association of Mexican American Educators. Tumis.com supplied $3,737 in free Web design and hosting. Alejo also gave his campaign $5,396 in cash and non-monetary gifts.
With spending under $5,000, Alejo has almost $45,000 in the bank.
Barnes, who announced her candidacy in November, isn’t worried, though she’s raised only half as much as Alejo.
“We raised over $30,000 in one month,” she said. “In six months, he raised $60,000. We just got a little later start, but we’re making lots of money and we’ll show that at our next report.”
Nearly half of Barnes’ cash came from Corralitos pilots Kenneth and Gabrielle Adelman, who each pitched in $7,800. Because of contribution limits, half the Adelmans’ donations are targeted for the June 8 primary election and the other half designated for the general election on Nov. 2.
Barnes also received $2,500 from the California Farm Bureau, $1,500 from Western United Dairymen STPAC of Modesto, and $1,000 each from Uni-Kool Partners of Salinas and certified public accountant Peter K. Shah of Salinas.
Dominguez has $42,371 on hand after spending $8,188. His total contributions include more than $23,000 in loans and gifts to himself.
Dominguez said he decided to run as Sacramento “robs our local cities, counties and schools of the resources they need. … My loan to my campaign shows my personal commitment to the voters in this district.”
Salinas is at the heart of the 28th District, which covers parts of Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Clara counties.
