With one week to go, here’s who’s ahead in the local money race

With one week left to go before the Nov. 8 election, candidates for public office in San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach have ramped up their fundraising efforts, with many raising upward of five figures to finance their campaigns.

Here’s the first of a two-part series looking at how much money city candidates have amassed in races as of the recent filing deadline Oct. 22. Finances for candidates in Atascadero, Grover Beach and Morro Bay will be included in the second part of the series Thursday.

San Luis Obispo

Though they were neck and neck in the months leading up to the election, San Luis Obispo Mayor Jan Marx has pulled significantly ahead of challenger Heidi Harmon in regard to campaign fundraising.

As of the most recent filing, Marx has raised $21,347, while Harmon has pulled in $15,250.

Marx’s notable contributions included $300 from both Public Policy Solutions of Templeton and San Luis Obispo County for Better Government, as well as $200 from Pismo Beach City Councilman Erik Howell and $100 from San Luis Obispo City Councilman John Ashbaugh. She has spent $10,779 to date.

Harmon had no donations of more than $300 from private citizens. To date, she has spent $10,608.

Council candidate Aaron Gomez topped his competitors by collecting $18,664. He spent $11,368. His notable donations included $250 from the SLO Democratic Party and $75 from Ashbaugh. He received no donations of more than $300 from private citizens.

Andy Pease has taken in a total of $16,747 and spent $15,170. She received $250 donations from both the SLO County Democratic Party and Plumbers and Steamfitters 403.

Christopher D. Lopez has raised $10,155 and spent $10,146, leaving him with $8 in the last week of the election. His only donation in the most recent filing period was $200 from himself.

Mila Vujovich-La Barre has collected $8,644 while spending $5,163. She had no donations of more than $300 from private citizens.

Mike Clark raised $9,148 and spent $5,162. He received no donations of more than $300 from private citizens.

Brett Strickland has raised $3,544 in contributions and spent $3,005. His only notable donation in October was $200 from the Home Builders Association of the Central Coast.

Arroyo Grande

In the race to fill two spots on the Arroyo Grande City Council and the mayor’s seat, council candidates Kristen Barneich and Caren Ray once again lead in campaign fundraising, with mayoral candidate Richard Waller also significantly increasing his fundraising in the last month before the election.

Barneich, an incumbent, has raised $13,519 and spent $12,620. Her top donors were Rooster Creek Tavern, $500; Steven Hollister, $400; and the SLO Democratic Party, $250.

Ray, who unsuccessfully ran for District 4 county supervisor in 2014, has raised $13,364, including a $253 nonmonetary donation for robocalls from Councilman Jim Guthrie. She has spent $8,516 on her campaign this year.

Some of Ray’s largest donations include $500 each from Peter Keith of Arroyo Grande and the local Plumbers and Steamfitters union. She also had a $250 donation from the SLO Democratic Party.

Mayoral candidate Waller had one of the busiest fundraising months, essentially doubling his funds during the most recent filing period: As of Oct. 22, he has raised $10,273 and spent $9,163.

This included an $831 loan from himself, in addition to about $2,667 he had previously loaned his campaign. Waller also received a $250 nonmonetary donation from Rooster Creek Tavern owner Frank Schiro for food for a Waller fundraiser and a $150 nonmonetary donation from Guthrie for robocalls. Waller’s largest private donation was $300 from the SLO Democratic Party.

Following closely behind was Mayor Jim Hill, who has raised $8,902 since starting his campaign and spent $6,992.

Hill’s largest donors were H&S Water Well Drilling & Pump Co., $1,000; Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, $1,000; and Dillar Ryan of Arroyo Grande, $500.

Council candidate Ken Sage has raised $5,850 and spent $5,691. None of his contributors gave more than $250.

Finally, council candidate LeAnn Akins has raised $2,615 and spent $1,950. None of her donors in the most recent period gave more than $250.

Council candidate John Mack filed a form declaring he didn’t intend to raise more than $2,000.

Pismo Beach

In Pismo Beach, Councilmen Erik Howell and Ed Waage continued to raise the most among the field of six candidates vying for two council seats and the mayoral seat, in some cases raising roughly five times as much as some of the contenders.

With a week to go before the election, Howell has raised $12,464 and spent $11,037. His largest donation in the most recent filing period was $500 from Georganne Gerini of Pismo Beach.

Waage, who is running for mayor, has accumulated $10,085 for his campaign and spent $4,864.87. His largest donations were $500 from both Peter Keith of Arroyo Grande and Don Day of Pismo Beach.

The remaining four candidates have raised, at most, half of what the two currently seated council members have amassed.

Sandra Gore Nielsen, who is challenging Waage for the mayor’s seat, has raised $4,652 and spent $3,496. Nielsen’s top donors were the SLO Democratic Party, $300; Plumbers and Steamfitters, $250; and Home Builders Association, $200.

Council candidate Marcia Guthrie has raised $3,871 and spent $1,120. Guthrie’s largest donations were $400 from Fred Hindler and $300 from Ted Shurson.

Council contenders Brian Kreowski and Tom Burgher gathered the least of all six candidates.

Kreowski has raised $2,498 and spent $50. In the most recent filing period, he received no donations from private citizens of more than $250, though he did receive $150 from the Home Builders Association.

Burgher has raised $2,457, including a $300 loan from himself in addition to $1,000 he previously loaned himself. Of his donations from private citizens, none were more than $250.

Paso Robles

Paso Robles added another hopeful to its roster of candidates running for two City Council seats, bringing the total to four.

Incumbent Councilman Steve Gregory continued to lead the pack in fundraising, taking in $6,547 in October, including the use of River Oaks Hot Springs Spa, valued at $1,406.

Including $1,000 he loaned himself, Gregory has raised a total of $19,390. His biggest donations in October included $1,000 from Firestone Walker Inc., $495 from Harrod Construction Co. and $350 from Paso Robles Door and Trim.

Incumbent Councilman Fred Strong raised $1,768 in October, bringing his 2016 funds raised to $6,523.

Strong’s biggest donations included $500 from the Oaks Hotel, $250 from the PG&E Major Donor Account and $150 from the Home Builders Association.

Candidate Kevin Kreowski filed his first campaign finance statement Oct. 7.

Kreowski raised $1,094.34 from July 1 through Sept. 27. His one major donor, UniPro, gave Kreowski’s campaign $300. The remainder of his funds came from nearly $800 in donations of less than $100.

Write-in candidate Kevin O’Neill, who joined the race on Oct. 21, filed paperwork stating his intent to raise no more than $2,000.

This story was originally published November 1, 2016 at 6:30 PM with the headline "With one week to go, here’s who’s ahead in the local money race."