Professional-level graphic work by Andrew Goff.

Thursday marked the final deadline for campaign finance reports before Election Day, and the documents give viewers a chance to see who’s putting their money behind which local initiatives and candidates.

With the county supervisors’ races decided back in the June primary, the main drama to be had this election season (at least locally) is in municipal races and some countywide measures. Today we’ll focus on Eureka, including the “True Ward” ballot initiative, Measure P, and the race for the one remaining seat available on the … 

EUREKA CITY COUNCIL

This race comes preloaded with several ready-made narratives, with public accountant John Fullerton representing experience, local roots and, to many, Eureka’s more conservative old guard and Austin Allison, a 25-year-old cardiac monitor tech at St. Joseph’s Hospital, representing fresh ideas, youthful enthusiasm and a chance to maintain a progressive majority on the council.

The latest campaign disclosure statements, which cover donations of $100 or more made from Sept. 25 through Oct. 22, show that Fullerton’s campaign has raised a total of $21,771 compared to Allison’s total of $12,663. This fits the typical pattern in Eureka, where more conservative candidates generally enjoy a fundraising edge over their progressive adversaries.

Fullerton’s top two donors are himself and his wife, who each gave $1,000 to the campaign. Fullerton also loaned his campaign $6,000.

The rest of hist top donors, listed below, contributed $500 apiece to his campaign:

  • O & M Industries, Arcata
  • Hooven and Co. Inc., McKinleyville
  • Hooven Rentals, LLC, McKinleyville
  • Wayne Caldwell, McKinleyville
  • Chet Albin for Council 2014, Eureka
  • Air Tight Co., Arcata
  • Fortuna Iron Co., Fortuna
  • Klair Management Enterprises Inc., McKinleyville
  • James Morrison, Eureka
  • S&W Properties, LLC, Eureka
  • Eureka Floor Company, Eureka
  • Redwood Coast Hospitality Inc., Eureka
  • Eli Jurkovich, Eureka

It’s worth noting that just six of those 13 donors hail from Eureka, including the failed 2014 council campaign fund for Chester “Chet” Albin. 

Other notable donors to the Fullerton campaign include Humboldt County Planning Commissioner Lee Ulansey and his wife Kathy ($250 apiece), Humboldt Bay Harbor Commissioner Larry Doss ($300), Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights (HumCPR) board chair Debbie Provolt ($250), former Eureka councilman Mike Newman ($100), and the stately and historic Eagle House Victorian Inn ($300).

See Fullerton’s full 460 reports in pdf form by clicking here and here and here and here.

Allison’s campaign, meanwhile, also had a 13-member club at the $500-contribution level:

  • AFSCME Council 57 PAC, Sacramento
  • AFSCME Local 1684 PAC, Eureka
  • CLC of Humboldt-Del Norte Counties, AFL-CIO, Eureka
  • Dale Preston, Eureka
  • David Mulhern, Eureka
  • Rogelio Gomez, Arcata
  • Rogelio Gomez, Jr., Arcata
  • North Coast Fabricators, Arcata
  • Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, Oakland
  • Ethan Aronson, Eureka
  • John D. L. Denney, McKinleyville
  • Lesley Ester, Eureka
  • Humboldt Democratic Central Committee, Sacramento

Unions clearly favor Allison, with four of them chipping in $500 apiece. And again, less than half of these donors actually come from Eureka. 

Allen McCloskey, the man who had planned to run for this seat before dropping out at the last minute and helping to line up Allison as a replacement candidate, contributed $480. Other notable donors include local attorney Peter Martin ($100) and former Eureka mayor Peter Levallee ($100). See Allison’s full 460 reports in pdf form by clicking here and here.

MEASURE P

The dynamics of future Eureka City Council races could be dramatically different if Measure P passes. The citywide ballot measure would change the way candidates are elected in the city. Currently each candidate for the council must physically reside in the ward she aims to represent, but candidates receive votes from throughout the city’s five wards. Measure P would change the electoral process to a “True Ward” system wherein candidates would be elected only by the voters in his or her own ward. (See our explainer here.) 

The fundraising in the pro and con camps here is pretty tight. The “Yes on P” camp raised $7,702 through Oct. 22 while the “No on P” camp raised $7,473. But the only reason this is close is so due to a $5,000 donation to the “Yes on P” cause from lefty angel donor Bill Pierson’s Sedgefield Properties. Although, on the other side, the Humboldt Builders Exchange Political Action Committee chipped in $3,000.

And indeed the donors on each side align neatly into their established political camps. Other lefties in the “Yes” camp include Peter Martin, Ken Miller and former District Attorney Paul Gallegos (at $100 apiece), Peter LeVallee ($200) and the Central Labor Council of Humboldt and Del Norte Counties ($500).

“No on P” donors include Eureka Councilmember Marian Brady‘s 2014 campaign fund ($200) and industrial/construction companies such as O & M Industries and Fortuna Iron ($500 each).

See the “Yes on P” 460s here and here and the “No on P” 460 here.