Costa Mesa council candidates are raking in campaign dollars

Costa Mesa’s municipal elections will look decidedly different this year than they have before, with voters for the first time casting ballots directly for mayor and choosing council representatives based on where they live in the city.

What’s unchanged, though, is that the campaign season is shaping up to be a big-bucks affair.

Here’s a look at the fundraising activity for the latest campaign disclosure period from Jan. 1 to June 30. Total contributions include cash and non-monetary donations. Figures are rounded to the nearest dollar and candidates are listed alphabetically by the position they are seeking.

Mayor

Katrina Foley

• Total contributions received: $67,584
• Expenditures made: $20,185
• Beginning cash balance: $16,026
• Ending cash balance: $49,365

Foley, a current council member, has amassed a significant war chest in the race to become Costa Mesa’s first directly elected mayor.

Her haul includes donations of $10,000 from the Orange County Employees Assn., $5,000 from Sanderson J. Ray Corp., a developer in Newport Beach, and $2,500 from Carol Alderete, a certified public accountant.

Foley said she’s “definitely ramped up” her fundraising this year and is particularly pleased with the number of small-dollar donations for her campaign.

“I have contributors who are donating $10 and $5 a month online, and those donations, which are hundreds, they translate directly into votes,” she said.

The other mayoral contender, current Mayor Sandy Genis, did not have financial documents on file with the city clerk’s office as of Friday. She announced her bid last month, after the close of the latest filing period.

State Streets resident Al Melone also had said he would run for the post but wrote in an email Thursday that he had decided against it.

District 3

Includes College Park, Mesa del Mar and a portion of the upper Eastside

Brett Eckles

• Total contributions received: $4,447
• Expenditures made: $574
• Beginning cash balance: $3,789
• Ending cash balance: $7,713

The numbers for Eckles, a former member of the city Parks and Recreation Commission, include $850 from a campaign account for former longtime council member Gary Monahan and $500 each from Jeff Mathews, owner of Arden Limited Partnership, John Stellar, who works in real estate, and attorney Mac Cabal.

“I’m extremely grateful to have received a broad range of generous support,” Eckles said. “I am humbled by individuals who have put their trust and confidence in me to be our City Council member representing District 3.”

Andrea Marr

• Total contributions received: $14,283
• Expenditures made: $7,146
• Beginning cash balance: $8,130
• Ending cash balance: $15,267

Among the largest donors for Marr, a member of the city’s Cultural Arts Committee, were the Generation Change and Orange County Employees Assn. political action committees, both of which gave $1,000, and Eastside LLC, a Corona del Mar-based entity that wrote an $875 check.

“We have been running a positive, resident-focused campaign about public safety, effective sober-living home regulation and making Costa Mesa safer for cyclists and pedestrians,” Marr said. “This funding allows us to get our message out to every single resident of District 3.”

Another declared candidate for the seat, Teresa Drain, did not have financial paperwork on file with the city clerk’s office as of Friday.

District 4

Dense Westside pocket south of the Fairview Developmental Center, ranging from Harbor Boulevard west to Monrovia Avenue and south to West 17th Street

Manuel Chavez

• Total contributions received: $9,441
• Expenditures made: $1,792
• Beginning cash balance: $0
• Ending cash balance: $8,569

So far, Chavez is the only candidate in the district who has reported any fundraising activity.

His largest single contribution in the latest filing period came from Eastside LLC, which donated $875. He also received $700 from Ulwelling Siddiqui LLP — a Costa Mesa-based law firm — and $500 from the campaign committee of former congressional candidate Laura Oatman.

Chavez said he thinks the number of donations he’s received “shows we’re building broad support, both locally and countywide” and demonstrates “a strong grassroots campaign.”

“I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support over the past months for my campaign from my family members, my former teachers, mentors at SOY [Save Our Youth], electeds like Katrina [Foley] and John [Stephens] and many more,” he said.

The other candidates in the district are Steve Chan and Michelle Figueredo-Wilson.

District 5

Wraps around District 4, taking in downtown and the remainder of the Westside.

Allan Mansoor

• Total contributions received: $32,209
• Expenditures made: $3,818
• Beginning cash balance: $0
• Ending cash balance: $28,391

Though he only recently entered the District 5 race, Mansoor, the current mayor pro tem, has access to a bankroll built during his abandoned run for mayor.

The amount from his Mansoor for Mayor 2018 campaign committee includes $3,000 from Nedrick McCune, property manager for Mariners Mile, $2,500 from West-Tech Materials executive Richard Campo and $1,500 each from Precision Optical and Sam Rahimian, vice president of Rahimian Management Corp., or RMC.

“I’m confident that I will have sufficient resources to run a successful campaign,” Mansoor said.

Arlis Reynolds

• Total contributions received: $19,840
• Expenditures made: $2,739
• Beginning cash balance: $0
• Ending cash balance: $17,251

The fundraising total for Reynolds — vice chairwoman of the Parks and Recreation Commission — includes $1,000 contributions from Olga Reynolds, escrow officer Mary Howard and attorney Michael Reynolds. She also received $875 from Eastside LLC.

“Our fundraising represents the broad support and new energy we have in the community, with more than 300 unique donors and many people who are first-time campaign donors. People are excited about change,” Arlis Reynolds said in an email.

The other candidate in the district, Rebecca Trahan, did not have fundraising information on file with the city clerk’s office as Friday.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoney

UPDATES:

6:50 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Arlis Reynolds.

This article was originally published at 5:30 p.m.