Monday, October 26, 2015

UPDATED Big Money in the Harbor Commission Race

Posted By on Mon, Oct 26, 2015 at 4:39 PM

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UPDATE: The most recent campaign finance information for 5th District incumbent Pat Higgins and details of his late filing have been added to this post.

PREVIOUSLY: The final round of campaign finance reports for the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District commission candidates were due yesterday, and they show a fairly spendy push to elect the district’s next commissioners.

Read more about the district, and what’s at stake in our previous coverage here. And read profiles of the candidates for two district seats here and here.

Here are some of the numbers, and noteworthy takeaways, from the Oct. 22 reports:

First off, the incumbents’ donors fall much as the politics of this race would have you expect: toward the left, and from people and businesses interested in the conservation and recreation side of the opposing bay philosophies.

The challengers’ donors fall on the opposite spectrum, in some cases, and show a more concerted effort. As reflected in the “noteworthy donor” sections below, the challengers share many donors, and out-raised their opponents. * An asterisk notes a donation to all three opposing campaigns.

The 1st District:
Larry Doss is running unopposed, but before his announced opponents failed to file the proper paperwork, he raised $1,969.50 for his campaign, loaned himself $2,100, and spent $3,532.50. He hasn’t raised or spent money since Sept. 19.

Some noteworthy donors:
David Schneider (the owner of Humboldt Bay’s Schneider Dock — $250
*Brooks Idea Group — $250
*James Pell — $100
*Shirley Pool — $100
Mary Krietsch — $100
*Marian Brady for Council 2014 — $250

Noteworthy expenditures:

$1,000 to local sign and printing companies, including $670 to MB Design (Eureka Councilwoman Marian Brady’s sign company). Doss also paid New Hampshire-based Big Daddy Signs $2,073.74. (The other challengers to commission incumbents also purchased campaign materials through the same company.)

The 2nd District:
As of Sept. 21, incumbent Greg Dale had raised no contributions. By the Oct. 22 deadline, Dale had raised $10,445.97 in monetary contributions.

Some noteworthy donors:
Humboldt Baykeeper Executive Director Jennifer Kalt — $100
Former Humboldt County Supervisor Clif Clendenen — $100
Huffman for Congress — $500
Mike Thompson for Congress — $500
Harbor District Commission Chairman Richard Marks — $250
Aaron Newman for Harbor Commission (Newman declined to run again this year and will be replaced by Larry Doss) — $675

Dale also received support totaling $3,400 from mariculture companies and employees:
Ekone Oyster Company, South Bend Washington — $500
Rock Point Oyster Company, Washington — $500
Erik Schlaugenhauf, director of farm operations Hog Island Oyster Company — $100
Shellfish farmers Vicki and Steve Wilson, Washington — $200
Shellfish farmer Mitchell White — $100
Hog Island Oyster Company — $500
Taylor Mariculture LLC (which rents space at the Harbor District’s former pulp mill site) — $1,000
Penn Cover Shellfish, Washington — $500

Dale has spent $4,820.73 with local companies for radio ads, campaign mailings, fundraising events and others.



Dale’s challenger, Nick Angeloff, has raised $13,938.90, garnering the support of several out of the area unions.

Noteworthy donors:
Leo Sears, who filed a conflict of interest lawsuit against Greg Dale and the Harbor District earlier this month — $500
Aqua Dam Inc., out of Scotia — $2,817.90
Walter Doolaege, president AquaDam Wyoming (though he lists a Fortuna address) — $1,000
Water Structures Unlimited (listed as AquaDam headquarters on the company’s website) — $999
2014 Eureka City Council candidate Chet Albin — $100
Robert Morris — $500
Retired union representative Sid Berg — 100
*Shirley Pool - 100
Humboldt Community Services District Executive Director David Hull (who was fired as the Harbor District’s executive director in 2011) — $150
Gary Krietsch - $100
*Marian Brady for City Council 2014 — $250
*Brooks Idea Group — $250
*James Pell — $100
David Schneider — $500
Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 District 40 PAC, out of Alameda — $1,000
Northern CA Dist Council ILWU, out of San Francisco — $495

Angeloff has spent $11,071 on advertisements, phone banks and miscellaneous campaign materials, including $2,046.74 to New Hampshire-based Big Daddy Signs.

The 5th District:

Incumbent Pat Higgins had raised $2,063 as of the September deadline, and spent $1,183. The Humboldt County Elections Office did not provide Higgins’ Oct. 22 reports, and it’s unclear if he did not file them by deadline, had no new information to report, or if it was overlooked when the Journal requested copies. We will report back when we can clarify.

Noteworthy donors:
George Wheeler, McKinleyville Community Services District vice president — $100
Richard Marks — $250

*The following information for Patrick Higgins was added to this post on Oct. 26*

Higgins’ 460s were received by the elections office on Saturday, Oct. 24, and postmarked Oct. 23, one day after the filing deadline. The elections office doesn't take action, but Higgins could be reported to the Fair Political Practices Commission for missing the filing deadline.

They show the incumbent has done some more fundraising, but nowhere reaching the level of his opponent. As of Oct. 22, Higgins raised $7,528 and spent $6,061.

Additional noteworthy donors (some of whom also donated to Dale's campaign):
Greg Blomstrom, co-owner of a forestry firm — $500
Zerlang & Zerlang Marine Services — $200
Chuck Dewitt, who coordinated restoration of the Golden Rule — $300
Hog Island Oyster Co. — $500
Taylor Mariculture — $1,000
John Jaso — $200
Seattle attorney Sameul Plauche — $481
McKinleyville doctor Ken Miller — $500

Higgins spent $4,690 with Eureka-based Sirius Studios to develop radio, television and print ads as well as campaign brochures.



Challenger Susan Rotwein has raised $18,824.24.

Noteworthy donors:
David Hull — $150
*Marian Brady for Council 2014 — $250
Gary Krietsch — $100
*Shirley Pool — $100
*James Pell — $100
*Brooks Idea Group — $250
Fisherman’s Marketing Association (not to be confused with the Humboldt Fishermen’s Marketing Association, of which commissioner Aaron Newman is the president) — $1,000
Sid Berg — $100
Operating Engineers Local Union 3, out of Alameda — $1,000
UA Local 246 Plumbers Fresno — $1,000
Ross Miller, of Miller Farms — $250
Miller Farms Nursery — $250
Northern California District Council ILWU, out of San Francisco — $495

Rotwein has spent $12,890.58 on office supplies, meetings and appearances, advertisements and other materials, including $2,077.75 with Big Daddy Signs of New Hampshire and $910 to curiously named Lost Coast Graphics out of Loomis, in Placer County.


Editor's Note: This post was updated again with more donor information.
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Grant Scott-Goforth

Grant Scott-Goforth

Bio:
Grant Scott-Goforth was an assistant editor and staff writer for The Journal from 2013 to 2017.

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