After the first six months on the campaign trail, mayoral candidate Damon Dunn leads other mayoral candidates in campaign contributions, raising over $240,000 through June 30 of this year.
According to financial disclosure documents released by the City Clerk’s office Wednesday, Dunn has raised over $170,000 more than the next closest candidate, though $125,000 of it was donated by himself and he has spent more than $100,000, leaving his campaign’s ending cash balance at just over $137,000. Dunn was the first to announce his candidacy in January.
During the same time period ending on June 30, Long Beach Community College Board Trustee Doug Otto, who began his campaign in April, reported just over $70,000 in fundraising, 5th District councilmember Gerrie Schipske’s campaign, which began in March, reported over $24,000, while Jana Shields reported just over $3,000, with the majority of the sum being self-donated. Vice Mayor Robert Garcia and 2nd District councilmember Suja Lowenthal, who both announced their candidacy in July, did not have any monies to report before the filing deadline.
Dunn has been aggressive in his fundraising efforts, hosting out-of-Long Beach fundraising events and walking door to door in many Long Beach neighborhoods. Nearly 70 percent of Dunn’s contributors listed addresses outside of Long Beach, with many coming from outside Los Angeles county and some from out of state.
Otto as well reached outside the city for some of his contributions. Thirty-five percent of the 140 campaign contributors for Otto were from outside the city.
Conversely, about 85% of the funds raised for Schipske came from addresses inside Long Beach. These numbers can also fluctuate due to the fact that the law allows for contributors to list their business addresses which may be in Long Beach even if the person lives elsewhere.
The documents provide just a preliminary glimpse of how the mayoral race has evolved financially since candidates announced their intentions to run for office earlier this year. With the field filled out and campaigning intensifying over the next six months, a more accurate picture of fundraising success will emerge after the next filing period ends December 31.
Election Day is April 8, 2014 and elected officials will assume office beginning July 15 of next year.
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