Wolbach, Cormack lead in fundraising for council race

BY ALLISON LEVITSKY
Daily Post Staff Writer

Palo Alto City Council candidates Alison Cormack and Cory Wolbach are leading the pack in campaign contributions with more than $50,000 each — with donations from dozens of influential local figures.

Wolbach, who is running for re-election, has raised a whopping $63,239. Among those donating to his campaign are Assemblyman Marc Berman ($1,000), Santa Clara Valley Water District board member Gary Kremen ($1,000), Menlo Park Realtor Zach Trailer ($1,000), former state Sen. Becky Morgan ($500), former Mayor Larry Klein ($500), Sereno Group Realtor Leannah Hunt ($250), former Mayor Bern Beecham ($200), former Human Relations Commission chair Daryl Savage ($165), 2015 Palo Alto schools parcel tax campaign co-chair Nana Chancellor ($150), state Sen. Jerry Hill ($100), former Mayor Peter Drekmeier ($100), former Mayor Sid Espinoza ($100), school board member Terry Godfrey ($100), former school board member Dana Tom ($100), former Palo Alto Community Fund president Kathleen Torgersen ($100), environmental attorney Terry Trumbull ($100), Saratoga Councilwoman Emily Lo ($99), Mountain View Whisman school board member Ellen Wheeler ($50).

Cormack, who led the successful effort for a library bond issue and is now seeking a seat on council, has received $59,127.54 in donations. Her donors include former state Sen. Becky Morgan ($1,000), 2015 Palo Alto schools parcel tax campaign co-chair Nana Chancellor ($1,000), state Assemblyman Marc Berman ($500), Mayor Liz Kniss ($500), Councilman Greg Scharff ($500), former Palo Alto Community Fund president Kathleen Torgersen ($250), YMCA administrator Patricia Emslie ($250), former school board member Julie Jerome ($200), former Mayor Sid Espinoza ($100), school board member Terry Godfrey ($100), former California State University board member Gloria Hom ($100), former school board member Carolyn Tucher ($100) and Fergus Garber Young architect Daniel Garber ($100).

Three other council candidates

Incumbent councilmen Tom DuBois and Eric Filseth have each raised more than $30,000, with former TV reporter Pat Boone collecting just $660.

Those five candidates are seeking three seats on the council, which will go from nine seats to seven after this election.

DuBois has raised $36,626 this year, including from retired Palo Alto engineer Gabrielle Layton ($5,000), Palo Alto retiree Helyn MacLean ($5,000), Sutter Hill venture capitalist G. Baker Jr. ($5,000), Sutter Hill venture capitalist Tench Coxe ($2,500) and Simone Coxe ($2,500), Palo Alto attorney Joe Hirsch ($1,000), Palo Alto retiree Laszlo Tokes ($1,000), administrative patent judge Norman Beamer ($500), Palo Alto technologist Hamilton Hitchings ($450), former Mayor Pat Burt ($250), former planning commissioner Arthur Keller ($250), computer consultant Fred Balin ($250), Los Altos retiree Pat Marriott ($250), former Councilman Greg Schmid ($150), former Mayor Peter Drekmeier ($100), school board President Ken Dauber ($100), school board member Terry Godfrey ($100) and Old Palo Alto property owner Rob Levitsky ($100).

Filseth has raised $31,373 this year, with donations from Sutter Hill venture capitalist G. Leonard Baker Jr. ($5,000), Palo Alto retiree Gabrielle Layton ($5,000), Sutter Hill venture capitalist Tench Coxe ($2,500) and Simone Coxe ($2,500), Palo Alto retiree Joseph Hirsch ($1,000), Palo Alto retiree Roger Smith ($1,000), planning commissioner Doria Summa ($500), administrative patent judge Norman Beamer ($500), Palo Alto retiree Neilson Buchanan ($500), Palo Alto technologist Hamilton Hitchings ($450), Los Altos retiree Pat Marriott ($250), former Councilman Greg Schmid ($150), former Mayor Peter Drekmeier ($100), school board member Terry Godfrey ($100), Santa Clara University lecturer Terry Trumbull ($100) and City Council watchdog Bob Moss ($50).

Boone has received just four donations, from BrowserStack Chief Operating Officer Shailesh Rao ($250), eLab Ventures co-founder Bob Stafanski ($250), Need to Know researcher Jo Ann Mandinach ($50) and Palo Alto technologist Hamilton Hitchings ($50).