With the Nov. 3 election just days away, BenitoLink looked at campaign contributions for local political races including Hollister mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 4, and San Juan Bautista City Council. Under law, all candidates and political organizations in an election are required to disclose contributions and loans, as well as expenditures.
Contributions to the San Juan Bautista City Council elections have not been reported to the city. For a small political race, if the amount raised and spent does not reach the $1,000 limit, no reports are required.
Contributions to the races for Hollister mayor and City Council Districts 1 and 4 are made public and can be found on the city of Hollister website.
Mayor
Two candidates are running for Hollister mayor: Sal Mora and incumbent Ignacio Velazquez.
Mora lists $10,393 in monetary contributions, including a $3,000 loan and $5,534 in contributions under $100 (not listed). Listed contributions are as follows:
- Emergency Vehicle Specialists: $500
- Donna Hayes: $500
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local 332: $500
- Central Ag Supply: $249
- Kevin Henderson: $100
Velazquez lists $15,000 in personal loans and no monetary contributions. He also lists $14,000 in debt from previous personal loans to his campaign dating back to Oct. 18, 2018.
City Council District 1
Two candidates are running for the District 1 seat: Jose Fernandez and Rick Perez.
Fernandez lists unitemized contributions of under $100, totaling $3,366. There is one itemized donation of $250 from the San Benito Land and Cattle Company.
Perez has self-financed his campaign with $4,112.
City Council District 4
Two candidates are running to represent District 4: Tim Burns and Julio Rodriguez.
While Burns has not filed a contribution report, Rodriguez lists $1,585 contributed to his own campaign and $354 in contributions under $100. There are two outside contributions over $100 from Mary Hsia-Coron ($300) and Carol Vonk ($200).
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