With ballots sent to local voters, voting centers accepting ballots and dropboxes open in multiple locations in San Benito County, candidates in the June 2 election continue to report campaign contributions and expenses.
Local primary races for Supervisor Districts 3 and 4, as well as a recall election for District 5 Supervisor Ignacio Velazquez, have drawn significant financial interest from contributors and supporters, according to disclosure statements that are required by state law and posted on the local elections office’s website.
The office of the head of the local elections office, also on the June 2 ballot, has also generated plenty of financial interest, with incumbent County Clerk-Recorder Francisco Diaz having collected more than $40,000 for his campaign since early 2025.
Diaz faces challenger Dan Sanchez for the office of County Clerk-Recorder, a position that also serves as the county’s Registrar of Voters.
Challenging Diaz for County Clerk-Recorder is Dane Sanchez. Sanchez has not filed any campaign contributions or expenditures since declaring candidacy in 2025.
Diaz’s latest disclosure reports show a $5,900 campaign contribution from Service Employees International Union 521 on April 11; $1,000 from Plumbers Local Political Action Fund on April 25; and $500 from Association Employees Union on Jan. 24.
Most of Diaz’s other listed monetary contributions range between $100-400, with nonmonetary contributions that include supplies, food and raffle prizes for campaign fundraising events.
His campaign has spent just more than $23,100 in cash and nonmonetary expenses, according to Diaz’s filings.
In the race for Supervisor District 3, incumbent Mindy Sotelo faces Peter Hernandez, a downtown Hollister business owner and former elected supervisor.
Campaign financial disclosure forms show Sotelo has been actively fundraising throughout 2026, with total contributions surpassing $49,500.
Recent notable contributions to Sotelo’s campaign include a May 15 payment of $2,500 from California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, whose district includes San Benito County; and $1,000 from Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez on April 30.
Sotelo’s total campaign expenditures so far are just over $20,300, according to her latest filings.
Hernandez’s campaign has raised and spent about $2,700.
In the race for Supervisor District 4, incumbent Angela Curro is running for re-election against Hollister Mayor Roxanne Stephens.
Curro has raised more than $70,500 for her campaign, while Stephens has raised $8,689—including a loan from herself of $1,416, according to the financial filings.
The largest contribution to Stephens’ campaign is Charles Knowles of Los Altos Hills, who contributed $5,900 on April 16.
Major contributions to Curro’s campaign include $5,900 from Jamil and Stan Pura on Feb. 2; $1,000 from San Benito County Farm Bureau on March 1; $1,000 from Dignity CA SEIU Local 2015 on April 13; and $5,900 from SEIU Local 521 on April 13.
District 4 write-in candidate Scott McPhail has not reported any campaign fundraising or spending.
In the recall election to oust Velazquez, the latest disclosures show among the contributions to the proponent committee, “Public Safety First,” a $10,000 payment on April 22 from Operating Engineers 3 Statewide PAC; and $1,000 from former Supervisor Richard Scagliotti.
The committee that initiated the recall has raised just over $57,700 since they started fundraising in 2025, according to their filings. Expenses include more than $30,000 to Plain Dan Solutions, a Santa Cruz-based company the committee hired to collect signatures for the recall effort last year.
Some voters have accused those signature gatherers of misstating the purpose of the petition they circulated, prompting an ongoing criminal investigation by the San Benito County District Attorney’s office.
Velazquez has raised more than $33,000 to fight the recall since early 2025, according to the latest disclosure reports. He has spent about $34,000 on various campaign expenses.
Most of Velazquez’s anti-recall campaign has been self-funded in the form of loans, with contributions of $4,800 each reported by Val Cole of Santa Cruz; Charles Knowles of Los Altos Hills; and Serena Rivera of Santa Cruz.
The meaning of campaign contributions
A local longtime political observer and Republican former candidate for office said voters generally don’t have much cause to read anything “nefarious” into individual campaign contributions, at least on the local level. Rob Bernosky, who is not running for office this year, offered some insight based on his decades of political activity.
“You don’t necessarily make a contribution to curry favor,” Bernosky said. “You make a contribution because you believe that person is going to do a good job in the role they’re running for.
“I’m sure, if you’re a big donor to somebody in office, you probably are going to listen to what their concerns are, but this is politics and it’s normal. It’s just the way it is.”
Bernosky was also asked about the ongoing dialogue among the public regarding the perceived influence of developers on certain local races.
He noted it is hard to escape such accusations in a community like San Benito County that is a prime target for growth, where public agencies have failed to ensure the infrastructure can support more homes, cars and people.
However, he doesn’t think the industry’s influence bears itself out in the form of campaign financing.
“I don’t see hundreds of thousands of dollars coming in from developers,” Bernosky said. “I see $1,000 here and $1,000 there, and that really is a drop in the bucket. I’m not seeing huge amounts of money where (a candidate) would be beholden to them.”
He added, “The biggest problem is not the outside developers’ money coming in. It is the ‘win at any cost’ mentality, where people are willing to destroy another individual’s reputation.”
