Will It Be an Incumbent Sweep? - The Spectrum Magazine

As the sample ballots are arriving in your mailboxes,
and absentee ballots soon on their way, let’s take a
look at the activity in the races that are of interest
to Redwood City voters in this November’s election.
First, in the Redwood City City Council race we
have four incumbents — Alicia Aguirre, Ian Bain,
Rosanne Foust and Barbara Pierce — facing off
against political newcomer Paul McCarthy.
A few tidbits for you: Pierce did not get the
COPE Labor Council endorsement, which is
almost unheard of for an incumbent poised to
be re-elected. I am sure her relationship, or lack
thereof, with safety labor groups like police and
fire led to the snub. It sends a strong message
they are not happy with her and don’t mind facing
the consequences, considering she will be reelected.
Aguirre, Bain and Foust got the nod yes.
McCarthy did not interview for the endorsement.
Bain did not get the San Mateo County Democratic
Party endorsement, which also surprises. That
went to Aguirre and Pierce. Foust is a Republican
and McCarthy did not interview for the endorsement,
so they were not expected to get it.
The candidates’ recent campaign statements
were released, and the leader in contributions is
Foust, who raised $7,668.25 to date and has $1,000
worth of nonmonetary contributions. She had a
beginning balance of $7,393 and spent $3,413.45,
leaving her with $11,647.80. Among those contributing
to her campaign are: Pete’s Harbor owner Paula
Uccelli, $500; businessman David Amann and
Lilia Ledezma, $250 each; political consultant
Ed McGovern, $250; SamTrans Director Michael
Scanlon and real estate agent John Shroyer, $150
each; school trustee Dennis McBride, former
Atherton Police Chief Glenn Nielsen and Councilman
Jeff Gee, $100 each. Chamber of Commerce President
Ben Paul donated $242.45.
Next was Pierce, who raised $3,395. Combined
with an $8,600.11 beginning balance and $1,280.01
in expenses, Pierce ends with $10,852.10 in her
war chest. Her contributors include: Uccelli,
$500; property owner Alyn Beals, $250; McBride
and Scanlon, $100 each. Albert Engel, owner of
Harbor Village Mobile Home Park, donated $500.
Aguirre raised $7,256 to date, on top of a $5,030
beginning balance. After spending $1,739, she
ended with $10,552. Her contributors included:
$1,000 from the Harbor Village Mobile Home
Park owners; County Sheriff Greg Munks and
Uccelli, $500 each; businessman John Adams,
$250; San Mateo Credit Union CEO Barry Jolette,
$200; former Cañada College President Tom
Mohr, Gee and McBride, $100 each.
Bain started with $1,809, raised $2,395 and had
expenditures of $542, leaving him with a balance
of $3,663. Those contributing to his campaign were:
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Building Trades Council and Kaia Eakin,
$250 each; Assemblyman Jerry Hill, County
Supervisor Don Horsley, Jolette, retired businessman
Keith Bautista and McBride, $100 each.
McCarthy claimed no donations and no expenditures.
What does this all mean? Can a political newcomer
who is spending nothing on his campaign possibly
win a seat and defeat an incumbent? Most likely
no, considering that there are no real issues besides
the Cargill site that would lead to a large voter turnout,
and that issue does not have enough opposition in our
community to foster that kind of anti-incumbent vote.
On the other hand, McCarthy is the only
candidate against the two tax-increase measures
on the ballot, has a strong background in the
military/law enforcement and is involved with
several community groups. All impressive and
attractive to voters. He is also listed fourth on the
ballot, which might get him a few extra votes too.
But if he is not spending any money to get his
message out, voters will not know about him. He
also did not publish a candidate’s statement in the
sample ballot booklet, which will hurt him and
quite possible seal his campaign’s fate.
.…
The political action committee Redwood City
Residents to Protect City Services (made up of
elected officials and status quo alike), which is in
favor of Measures I and M to increase the city’s
hotel and business taxes, raised $2,755 this period
on top of $1,000 from previous reporting periods,
bringing its total to $3,755. The group spent
$4,378 on literature and campaign consultants,
leaving it with $2,378 in outstanding debt.
Contributions this period include $200 each from
the Redwood City Police Sergeants Association
and Ben Paul, $500 from Councilwoman Pierce
and $100 from developer Sares Regis.
OK, really? How ironic is it that this committee
is reporting a deficit and they are trying to raise
our taxes? Voters often complain that government
entities should but do not “live within their
means,” and this group can’t even run a campaign
that is at least balanced so far? Give me a break.
If these measures pass, it will be because of low
voter turnout and the precinct walking done by
firefighters and other union groups.
.…
In the Redwood City School District race, incumbents
Alisa Greene MacAvoy, Shelly Masur and
Dennis P. McBride are facing competition from
Lea Cuniberti-Duran. Trustee McBride raised
$2,802 this year and $1,802 since July 1. McBride
loaned himself $2,000 of the total amount.
Trustee Masur raised $1,943 over the year and
| Steve Penna
$250 during this filing period. Board President
MacAvoy raised $1,850 this year, $575 during
this filing period. Her total includes a $1,000 loan
from herself. All three candidates spent money on
filing fees and literature. Challenger Cuniberti-
Duran filed a form saying she would not raise or
spend over $1,000 during her campaign.
Same scenario in this race as the City Council
race — if you are going to challenge incumbents,
you need to raise contributions and endorsements
to win. The one advantage Cuniberti-Duran might
have is that she is in the race and is showing a
desire to serve. Which might come in handy if
Masur is elected county supervisor in November
2012 (she will be running for Rose Jacobs
Gibson’s seat) and has to give up her seat to do so.
That will put Cuniberti-Duran in a strong position
to be appointed if she a) has a respectable showing
in this election and b) creates some relationships
with the other trustees, including Masur.
.…
In the Sequoia Union High School District race,
trustees Lorraine Rumley and Olivia Martinez
are campaigning against Menlo Park resident
Allen Weiner, East Palo Alto resident Larry
James Moody and San Carlos School District
trustee Carrie Du Bois. At least one of the challengers
will gain election because incumbent trustee Don
Gibson decided to not run for re-election.
Du Bois raised $11,468, including $100 from
philanthropist Bill Somerville, $250 from San
Carlos trustee Seth Rosenblatt, $100 from the
Leisure Family 1991 Trustee, $100 each from
Redwood City School District trustees MacAvoy
and McBride, $500 from San Carlos trustee Mark
Olbert and $100 from Amika Guillaume, an
administrator for the Ravenswood City School
District. Du Bois has spent $4,746.46 thus far on
postage, website costs, print ads and campaign
literature.
University educator Weiner raised $3,270,
including a $1,064 donation from himself and
$1,000 from Terry Thygesen, Menlo Park City
School District trustee. Weiner spent $382.40 thus
far on envelopes and campaign literature.
A joint campaign committee was formed to
support trustees Rumley and Martinez. Thus
far, the campaign raised $2,624, including $100
donations from both Rumley and Martinez, and
$200 from Sheriff Munks. The statement from
Moody was not yet available.
Given the fact that our community seems to be
relatively pleased with the current board and that
Du Bois is viewed as part of the extended system,
she should grab the open seat.
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