Candidates don’t show their poker hands, but WE do let you know what they have to ante up
Running for office is not only about getting your name on the ballot, but also about raising money to promote all aspects of a candidate’s campaign. That includes but is not limited to printed literature, mailings, digital/online advertising, consultants, print advertising, yard signs, postage, polling, research and such.
So raising money is vitally important. The more you have, the more you can do.
Locally, with three seats up for grabs, here’s a look at the most recent filings from the end of September:
Incumbent Alex Rounaghi appears to be the big dog when it comes to his campaign war chest. He has raised $65,742, spent $25,728, has $36,404 in cash on hand and no debt.
Sue Kempf, another of the incumbents, has received $38,752 in contributions, spent $5,050 and has $33,702 in cash on hand. She also shows no debt.
Mayor Mark Orgill had contributions of $28,935, with $8,834 in expenditures, $22,059 in cash on hand and $1,958 of debt.
Ashley Cintas has raised $26,763, spent $8,856 and has $20,998 cash on hand, with debts of $17,091.
Joy Berry has raised $11,689, spent $1,043, with $10,646 in cash, also with no debt.
Nick Aronoff has raised $10,575, spent $4,852, has $6,908 in cash on hand and debt totaling $2,186.
Karen Martin raised $1,599, spent $1,169, has $430 of cash remaining and no debt.
The record search showed “pending totals” for both Edward Bayuk and Laura Parisi.
Donors of note, not necessarily by amount, but according to other factors are:
The Laguna Beach Firefighters PAC contributed $500 each to incumbents Kempf, Orgill and Rounaghi.
Howard F. Ahmanson & Fieldstead & Company reported a $2,710 independent expenditure supporting Rounaghi with a slate mailer. This is not considered a donation to Rounaghi’s committee and is legally separate from his campaign’s finances.
Sam Goldstein donated $500 to Rounaghi.
And former Laguna Beach Councilmember George Weiss gave $250 to Aronoff.
For the three seats open for the Laguna Beach Unified School District, five candidates are running. Here’s a look at their disclosure information.
Incumbent Dee Perry had contributions of $10,552, $3,388 in expenses and $7,164 in cash on hand.
Incumbent Joan Malczewski had contributions of $23,407, with expenses of $2,780 and $21,136 in cash on hand. She has outstanding debt of $784.
Elizabeth Bates has had contributions of $7,351, expenses of $3,484 and $3,867 in cash on hand.
Kimberly Smith has raised $28,105 this last period, with $2,666 of expenditures, and $25,438 in cash on hand. She also shows outstanding debt of $200.
Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal has raised $20,719, with expenses of $1,703, with $19,017 in cash on hand. She also has outstanding debts of $3,103.
Incumbent Malczewski is running on a slate with Smith and Sheik-Sadhal, while Perry is running with Bates.
Finally, there is the Measure E initiative. It asks a Yes or No to the following question: Shall an ordinance to amend the Laguna Beach Municipal Code by enacting a limit on consecutive years of service by members of the City Council to a combined total of two four-year consecutive terms, with the ability to again serve as a Councilmember after a lapse of service of at least two years, be adopted?
Reported Measure E contributions show $3,068 supporting the measure and $12,906 in opposition to it.
Ballots for Laguna Beach are expected to begin arriving Monday, Oct. 5.
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We’d be remiss if we didn’t circle back to last week’s Promenade Grand Opening and give a shout-out to 133, the local band that took over the stage as the sun was setting and kept things going for another two-and-a-half hours.
The band put together a special setlist for the occasion, mixing their own originals with covers selected for the evening. And judging by the crowd, they hit the right notes. People stayed, listened, danced and simply enjoyed being together. In many ways, that’s exactly what the Promenade is supposed to be about.
And, although our photographer did not capture the band in action and they therefore weren’t mentioned in our previous coverage, they certainly deserve their moment in Stu.
So, here it is. Check out the video below featuring Bitchin Girl, written by Clay Berryhill and performed by 133, with lead singer Nick Hernandez on lead vocals, giving you a little taste of the band helping Laguna celebrate a pretty special night.
Courtesy of Clay Berryhill
133 bringing it home at the Grand Opening celebration for The Promenade
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The South Laguna Civic Association membership will host the Laguna Beach City Council candidates for a panel discussion on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at the Laguna Beach Community & Recreation Center (formerly St. Catherine’s).
This will be an opportunity for residents to hear directly from the candidates on topics relevant to South Laguna and the broader Laguna Beach community.
SLCA Board Members will moderate the discussion.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m. for sign-in, social and light refreshments, with the forum beginning at 6 p.m.
For more information on the South Laguna Civic Association, go to https://solaguna.com.
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Tonight (Friday, Oct. 2), don’t miss the Sunset Serenades Finale! Grab a low-back beach chair, pack a picnic dinner and head to Heisler Park (at Cliff Drive) to enjoy a breathtaking sunset and the last concert in the series. Uncanny Valley, with music you forgot you loved, will take the stage beginning at 5:30 p.m. Alcohol is permitted for guests 21 or older, but must be accompanied by a full meal. Solicitation of any kind is not permitted at city events. Enjoy!
