Jordan Cunningham, Dawn Addis have raised $1.3 million in Assembly race. Here’s who’s ahead
Central Coast Democratic Assembly candidate Dawn Addis had a highly successful three months of fundraising — out-raising her opponent, Republican incumbent Jordan Cunningham, by more than $64,000.
With slightly more than a month to go before the Nov. 3 Presidential Election, Addis, a member of the Morro Bay City Council, had raised a total campaign fund of more than $695,000, according to campaign finance reports submitted to the California Secretary of State.
The Democrat raised more than half of that — $384,861 — raised between July 1 and Sept. 19, campaign finance reports show.
Cunningham, a Templeton attorney and former county prosecutor who has served two two-year terms representing the Central Coast in Sacramento, still has far more cash on hand than Addis by a rate of more than 2-to-1, with $489,075.
The 17th state Senate District race to replace termed-out Democratic state Sen. Bill Monning is far less dramatic.
Former California Natural Resources Agency Secretary John Laird, who Monning has endorsed, has far out-raised his Republican opponent, Carmel businesswoman Vicki Nohrden, by more than 4-to-1.
Laird, a Democrat, raised $186,051 of his total $402,847 contributions between July and mid-September.
Nohrden, in her first run for public office, raised $48,971 of her total $93,755 during that period.
There is one more financial report scheduled to be released in each race prior to the election.
Big money in California Assembly race for 35th District
The Assembly’s 35th District encompasses all of San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County.
According to the California Secretary of State, the district’s roughly 266,000 registered voters are approximately 37.6% Democrats, 34.3% Republican, and 21.3% No Party Preference.
The race is getting attention from the state Republican and Democratic parties, which have pumped more than $100,000 and $240,000 into the race, respectively.
Cunningham maintains the fundraising lead, raising $320,786 this latest reporting period, including about $27,600 in non-monetary contributions, of his total $661,663 raised this year. Cunningham’s spent a total of $594,420, most of which — $430,123 — was spent between July and mid-September. His campaign stands with $83,559 in debts, and he had about $489,075 left in cash as of Sept. 19.
Cunningham’s donors last period include a combination of small in-district contributions and many maximum donations from the political action committees (PACs) of corporations, labor unions, and businesses.
Locally, notable donations came from San Luis Obispo County Superintendent of Schools James Brescia, Paso Robles Councilman John Hamon, and prominent San Luis Obispo business Meathead Movers.
Cunningham has the most sizable list of corporate and labor donors of any local candidate for state office. Donations have come in from the political action committees of Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, and Boeing, as well as public safety groups such as Cal Fire, the association of highway patrolmen and the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriff’s Association.
As in past election cycles, he’s taken money from tobacco giant Phillip Morris as well as oil industry interests such as the Western Petroleum PAC and Valero. He received a $100,000 boost from the Republican Party of California.
In total, Cunningham’s fundraising this period includes $244,700 of money from PACs and businesses.
Addis began this reporting period with $324,827 in cash, and ended the period Sept. 19 with $230,791. During that period, she raised $384,861 in monetary and non-monetary contributions ($151,707) and spent $465,957 of her total $553,157 expenses this year. She reported $13,326 in outstanding debts.
Her individual donors include a host of prominent San Luis Obispo County Democrats including Laird, county Supervisor Bruce Gibson, former county Supervisor Shirley Bianchi, Grover Beach City Council members Karen Bright and Mariam Shah, San Luis Obispo councilmembers Erica Stewart and Any Pease, SLO Women’s March co-founder Andrea Chmelik, county civil service Commissioner Erica Baltodano, and former Harbor Commissioner Steve McGrath.
She also received a donation and endorsement from her colleague on the Morro Bay City Council, Mayor John Headding, a Republican.
Addis reported $168,635 in contributions from PACs and businesses, including $75,000 this period from the California Democratic Party. She has taken more than $240,000 this year from the party.
Addis has received donations from the healthcare industry (Nurses Association and Planned Parenthood) and labor unions (a local iron workers union and Professional Engineers of California) as well as science and education groups (Cuesta College Federation of Teachers and Association of Professional Scientists) and various Democratic groups, including $50,000 from the Democratic Party of Mendocino County.
Democrat is clear frontrunner in State Senate race
The 17th Senate District encompasses all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz counties, as well as portions of Monterey and Santa Clara counties. The Secretary of State’s website says the district’s roughly 583,000 registered voters are about 48% Democrats, 23.9% Republican and 22.3% No Party Preference.
Laird, who has more than four times the campaign cash as his opponent, reported beginning the period July 1 with $323,394 and ending the period Sept. 19 with $413,756. In between, he raised $186,051 of his total $402,847 raised this year.
Laird spent a total of $311,977 in 2020, with $93,303 of that in the past three months.
He reported $141,618 in donations from PACs, mostly consisting of labor unions, but also organizations such as Cal Fire, General Motors, the Los Angeles Police Protective League, AT&T, T Mobile, the Association of General Contractors, the Cattlemen’s Association and the California Teachers Association.
Nohrden has received support from a long list of individual small donors, including San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Debbie Arnold, Atascadero Mayor Heather Moreno, and Danny Oster, a Santa Margarita landowner who has lobbied the county to permit the building of the Las Pilitas Quarry on his property, a proposal that has been met with strong opposition from residents.
Nohrden reported entering the most recent cycle with just $17,463 and ending with $24,770, with $13,452 in outstanding debt. She reported raising $48,971 between July and mid-September, of her total $93,755 raised this year. She’s spent a total of $79,079 this year, most of that — $44,752 — was spent in the last three months.
