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Last Thursday was the final pre-election deadline for candidates to file financial disclosure forms in the California Primary Election, revealing how much money they’ve raised, where it came from and how they’ve spent it.

Among the candidates for county supervisor – including three incumbents and five challengers – each current office-holder has raised and spent more than their competitors, in some cases by tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, only one of the four challengers has even filed a Form 460, the campaign disclosure statement required of any and all candidates who intend to raise and/or spend $2,000 or more over the course of their campaign.

In at least one case, that of Third District supervisorial challenger Rogelio “Roy” Gomez, Jr., there’s cause to question whether he should have submitted those forms: His campaign has been soliciting donations for at least two months, and a local graphic design company created a series of custom logos that have been reproduced on yard signs, fliers and more. However, Campaign Manager Jessica Gomez (Roy’s wife) declined to answer questions on the matter. (More on that below.)

Here’s a rundown of the latest numbers:

DISTRICT ONE

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Incumbent Rex Bohn, seeking his fourth four-year term on the board, has a huge financial advantage over his challengers, who include former Coast Guardsman Gordon Clatworthy and reclusive Fields Landing resident Gerald McGuire.

Bohn’s campaign raised $44,619 through Feb. 17, the end of the most recent reporting period. His biggest donors include:

• $1,500: James Morrison (Eureka)
• $1,050: Suzie Jones (Eureka)
• $1,000: Scott Moore Trucking
• $1,000: Russ Cattle Co.
• $1,000: David W. Morris (Fortuna)
• $1,000: Jim Furtado (McK)
• $1,000: GR Sundberg, Inc.
• $1,000: Debbie Provolt (Blue Lake)
• $950 each from Cassandra and Larry Doss (Orick)

His campaign spent less than $13,000 of that amount through Feb. 17, mostly on radio and print advertising, yard signs and fundraiser events. His campaign ended the filing period with more than $21,000 still in the bank.

Neither Clatworthy nor McGuire have submitted any Form 460s, though Clatworthy did file the short form campaign statement (470) required of candidates who don’t plan to raise and/or spend at least $2,000. Reached by phone he confirmed that he has not raised any money more than that threshold.

“I’ve turned down a lot of donations,” Clatworthy said. 

McGuire could not be reached by deadline.

District Two

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Incumbent Michelle Bushnell has a narrower lead over her closest competitor, financially speaking, having raised $42,710, including a $10,000 loan to her own campaign, while Fortuna business owner Jeana McClendon raised $33,142, including $28,853 in loans to her own campaign.

McClendon’s self-loans account for 87 percent of her total fundraising to date. Beyond that, her three top donors are Cheryl A. Christina and Anthony M. Christina of Carlotta and Ivan Brownell of Fortuna, all three of whom chipped in $1,000 apiece.

McClendon’s campaign spent $10,000 to hire Jay Townsend, a New York City-based political consultant and personal development expert. Her campaign also spent more than $4,500 on mailers.

The Bushnell campaign’s biggest expenditures have been on local print and radio advertising.

Bushnell’s top donors include:

• $1,500: James and Marie Johnson (Garberville)
• $1,500: Kurt Kramer (Eureka) 
• $1,500: David Doolaege (Carlotta)
• $1,500: Dean and Dana Hunt (McK)
• $1,500: Nacona Mendes (Whitethorn)
• $1,498: Henry Schmitt (San Anselmo) 
• $1,000: Double S Propane Transportation (Fortuna)
• $1,000: Lost Coast Organics (Hydesville)
• $1,000: Russel Colmen (Fortuna)

Roberts has submitted no campaign finance forms. Reached by phone on Monday he said he has spent $450 of his own money, and if he makes it to a runoff he’ll spend some more without exceeding the $2,000 threshold.

District Three

Wilson and Gomez

Incumbent Mike Wilson’s campaign brought in $19,948.50 through Feb. 17, including a $5,750 loan from himself.

His big-money donors – those who contributed the maximum amount for county supervisor campaigns at $1,500 apiece – include labor unions (Laborers International Union of North America Local No. 324, AFSCME Local #1684 PAC and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Humboldt-Del Norte Counties PAC) and the Trout Political Action Committee.

Wilson loaned his campaign $5,750 last year, and he had $11,626 still in the bank as of Feb. 17. His campaign’s biggest expenditure was $2,756 to Times Printing Company for campaign literature.

The Gomez campaign, as mentioned above, has submitted only a Form 470, which is for candidates who don’t plan to raise and/or spend $2,000 or more. Yet, back on Dec. 27, the Roy Gomez for Third District Supervisor Facebook page began soliciting donations, saying, “we are in full campaign fundraising mode and would greatly appreciate anything that our supporters can donate to help us win this election!”

The post linked to a PayPal account page asking people to donate $5, $50 or $200 or more to his political campaign.

Juan Cervantes, the Humboldt County Registrar of Voters, told the Outpost on Monday that it’s generally not a good idea to use PayPal for political fundraising, in part because state law requires campaigns to list the name and occupation of anyone who donates $100 or more.

Meanwhile, local graphic design firm Visual Concepts created at least five campaign logos for Gomez, which have been printed on campaign literature and advertisements. In a Facebook post from Feb. 9, owner Noah Samson indicated that the designs may have been a gift, writing, “A few months ago [Gomez] told me he was running for 3rd District Supervisor so of course I was down to help an old friend.”

However, Cervantes said that doesn’t necessarily mean the contributions don’t have to be reported. If someone donates anything of value beyond the $99 threshold, it’s considered an “in-kind” donation and should be reported as such. We reached out to Samson around noon Monday to ask how much time he spent designing the Gomez logos and how much he’d usually charge for such work but did not immediately hear back before publication time.

Here’s a photo of Gomez’s Eureka cannabis dispensary, Heart of Humboldt Heart of the Emerald, with campaign signs in the window and one on the street, the latter of which, incidentally, violates the Eureka Municipal Code’s provisions on political advertising.

When we reached Campaign Manager Jessica Gomez via Facebook Messenger on Monday, she said that before answering any questions about campaign financing or anything else, the campaign “would first require” the Outpost to report on the fact that Eureka City Councilmember G. Mario Fernandez is an author and organizer with Humboldt Grassroots, a community organization that promotes anarchy. 

Roy and Jessica Gomez have been sounding the alarm about this for months at local government meetings, complete with visual aids outlining a supposed network of co-conspirators, including elected officials, the nonprofit Ink People, Eureka Books and the City of Eureka. (Fernandez has responded directly to Gomez, saying he has no intention of abolishing local government, cutting off funding to the Eureka Police Department or engaging in political violence of any kind.)

We again asked Jessica Gomez why their campaign hasn’t filed any financial disclosure forms despite actively soliciting donations and spending money on advertising and she replied, “We will happily reply to all of your questions provided you report on the above,” meaning Fernandez’s anarchism.

Jay Wierenga, communications director with the Fair Political Practices Commission, said his organization receives a couple thousand complaints per year about alleged violations of the Political Reform Act. If a candidate is found to have violated the act – by failing to disclose more than $2,000 in campaign activity, for example – they can be fined up to $5,000 per violation, though an investigation would precede any hearing or penalty.

Wierenga also confirmed than any donation of $100 or more – including “in-kind” or non-monetary donations worth that much – must be reported via a Form 460.

Superior Court Judge

Incumbent Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Gregory Kreis, whose re-election campaign has been destabilized by an ethics investigation from the California Commission on Judicial Performance, has raised slightly more than his closest challenger, April Van Dyke, but only because he loaned his campaign $25,325.

In total his campaign raised $34,925 through Feb. 17, including a $20,000 loan from himself on Jan. 31, 2024. His largest single donation was $5,000 from an organization called Judicial Excellence Together. Kreis addressed that donation over in our LoCO Elections forum. His campaign also received a $1,000 donation from Eureka resident Rory Hanson and a $500 donation from Eureka resident James Morrison.

Kreis has spent money on print and radio advertising. At the end of the reporting period he had just $318.52 in his war chest.

Van Dyke, meanwhile, reported raising $32,118.37 through Feb. 17, including $3,050 in loans from herself. In addition to a $5,000 donation from Arcata resident Nancy Noll and $500 from the Humboldt Democratic Central Committee, Van Dyke brought in a number of large out-of-county donations, including:

• $5,000: Brendan Barrett (San Jose)
• $5,000: Law Office of Leah N. Gillis (San Jose)
• $2,250: Calvin Itzaina (York, PA)
• $1,000: Lorna Decker (Napa)

Van Dyke’s campaign spent $1,700 with progressive political campaign firm Political Data Intelligence and $1,288 with local consultant Thomas Edrington. She also spent more than $7,200 on campaign literature and $1,500 on print ads. At the end of the reporting period her campaign had a little over $4,600 in the bank.

Jessica Watson, a late entry candidate running an official write-in campaign, submitted the 470 short form, meaning she does not intend to raise and/or spend more than $2,000.

Head on over to the Humboldt County Office of Elections website to access all the financial disclosure forms from the current election cycle. Election Day is next Tuesday, March 5.