The bulk of the TV advertising and mailings in the San Diego mayoral and city attorney races are largely funded by independent committees that are not subject to the city’s $1,350 campaign spending cap.
The committee supporting mayoral challenger Larry Turner has spent more than $850,000 on TV ads and mailers since late September, outspending the $27,000 spent by Turner’s campaign during the same period. It’s far superior.
Incumbent Mayor Todd Gloria is benefiting from a committee jointly supporting him and incumbent City Councilman Stephen Whitburn.
The committee has spent more than $640,000 since late September, while the candidates themselves have spent a total of just over $300,000 during that period.
In the city attorney race, a committee supporting several city candidates spent $117,000 on a recent mailing supporting Councilman Brian Mayenschein, who is running against Deputy City Attorney Heather Furbert. Ta.
That’s more than the $100,000 Furbert has spent since late September.
Another committee has spent more than $100,000 on advertising in support of Mayenschein since late September. The candidate himself has since spent $123,000.
But another committee is airing television ads featuring Mayenschein, funded by an $800,000 war chest donated by another committee he controls.
As the ad touts Proposition 3, which enshrines the right to same-sex marriage in the state constitution, Mayenschein’s name appears on the screen and he says it all.
The money came from two committees created by Mayenschein for other elections: $600,000 from his 2022 Congressional reelection campaign and $200,000 from Mayenschein for attorney general in 2030. It’s 10,000 dollars.
Commission spending also plays a role in municipal elections, although on a much smaller scale.
The committee, controlled by the city’s largest union, paid $117,000 to mail carriers who supported Furbert, including Gloria and City Council incumbents Whitburn and Sean Elo Rivera. We are also making payments.
The committee (“Protect Neighborhood Services Now”, sponsored by the San Diego City Employees Association) has earmarked $37,000 to support Elo Rivera, $33,000 to support Whitburn, and $6,000 to support Gloria. spent.
This total of $193,000 is in addition to the $500,000 the commission donated to the campaign in support of Measure E, a 1-cent sales tax increase that would bring in about $400 million a year in new revenue for the city.
The campaign supporting Measure E raised $246,000 during the reporting period from Sept. 22 to Oct. 19, according to the latest fundraising disclosures for all city elections and ballot measures filed this week. I did.
The campaign in support of Measure E (called “Penny for Progress, Yes on Measure E”) spent $508,000 during the period, primarily on television ads and mailers.
The Committee Against Measure E, managed by the San Diego County Taxpayers Association Political Action Committee, spent $18,000 on digital advertising.
The San Diego Police Officers Association Political Action Committee, backed by the police union, has given $24,000 to support Mr. Maienschein, $21,000 to support Mr. Whitburn, and Terry to run against Elo Rivera in the 9th District.・Spent $19,000 to support Mr. Hoskins.
The committee supporting Turner (“Let’s Go Around San Diego in Support of 2024 Mayor-elect Larry Turner,” sponsored by the Lincoln Club Business League) raised $909,000 and raised $856,000 during the reporting period. was spent.
A key contributor to the committee is Point Loma attorney Steven Richter.
During the reporting period, the committee supporting Mr. Gloria and Mr. Whitburn (San Diegans for Fairness Supports Todd Gloria for Mayoral Candidate and Stephen Whitburn for 2024 City Council Member) They raised $822,000 and spent $640,000.
In the mayoral race, Gloria outraised Turner by raising between $107,000 and $34,000 during the reporting period. He also spent more than Turner, from $286,000 to $27,000. Gloria had spent $192,000 by the final day of the race and Turner had $28,000.
In the city attorney race, Mr. Verbert raised $735 during the reporting period, more than Mr. Mayenschein’s $23,000. Maienschein beat Verbert’s $123,000 to $100,000, but had more money left by the final day, $32,000 to $15,000.
In the City Council District 3 race, Whitburn and challenger Colleen Cusack each raised just over $2,000 during the reporting period. But Whitburn beat Cusack’s $24,000 to $1,700 and had far more left on the final day, $53,000 to $4,000.
In District 9, Elo Rivera outpaid Hoskins by $17,000 to $6,000 during the reporting period. Elo Rivera also beat Hoskins’ $12,000 to $9,000 and left with more money on the final day, $36,000 to $8,400.
