BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
The race between incumbent Menlo Park Councilwoman Kirsten Keith and Planning Commissioner Drew Combs for the District 2 (Willows neighborhood) seat has garnered nearly twice as much campaign donations as the two other Menlo Park council races combined, according to financial forms posted to the city’s website yesterday (Sept. 28).
District 2 encompasses the Willows neighborhood, Flood Triangle, Suburban Park and Lorelei Manor. Keith is seeking her third term on council
while Combs is taking his second shot at gaining a seat.
Keith has raised about double what Combs has, with $24,599 to his $11,529. However, Keith has large donations from developers while Combs has
smaller donations from former mayors and current city commissioners.
Keith received a $500 donation from Palo Alto-based Greenheart Land Co. On Jan. 25, 2017, Keith and the rest of council approved Greenheart’s 420,000-square-foot, 6.2-acre development of offices, homes and stores at 1300 El Camino Real.
Other donors to her campaign include Windy Hill Property Ventures partner Richard Spieker Jr. ($500), Anton Development Co. ($950), Redwood City Attorney Geoff Carr ($500), Core Affordable Housing LLC ($950), Mountain View council candidate Lucas Ramirez ($100), State Sen. Jerry Hill ($100), Planning Commissioner Susan Goodhue ($50), Hillsborough resident Janet Buchwald ($100), Assemblyman Marc Berman ($150) and former county supervisor Rose Jacobs Gibson ($25).
Combs has seen donations from former mayor Steve Schmidt ($200), former finance and audit commissioner Stu Soffer ($200), former mayor Mickie Winkler ($150), former councilwoman Kelly Fergusson ($250), Planning Commissioner Henry Riggs ($250), Housing Commissioner Karen Grove ($100), former environmental quality commissioner Kristin Duriseti ($100), Complete Streets Commissioner Philip Mazzara ($100), former library commissioner Lynne Bramlett ($100), retired resident Kristi Berg ($740), Stanford employee Joel Berman ($100), Assemblyman
Marc Berman ($100), Planning Commissioner Katherine Strehl ($250), resident George Fisher ($500) and Menlo Park Fire District board member Peter Carpenter ($1,000).
Other races
Here’s a look at who has contributed to the other council races in Menlo Park.
In District 4, which includes Allied Arts and the area between Santa Cruz Avenue and Valparaiso Avenue, former West Bay Sanitary District Board Member and current Audit and Finance Committee member Ron Shepherd has the largest war chest at $6,000. However, most of his funds come from his $5,000 loan to himself.
His contributors include West Bay Sanitary board member Edward Moritz ($50), Menlo Park resident Sandy McNamara ($250), resident Walker Gloria ($200) and resident Melissa Freeman ($100).
Complete Streets Commissioner Betsy Nash has raised $3,600, including $500 of her own money. Her contributors include Stanford employee Catherine Behroozi ($100), Apple employee Sally Cole ($250), former Menlo Park councilwoman Kelly Fergusson ($250), attorney George Fisher ($250), retired resident Amy Klein ($150), former Menlo Park councilman Steve Schmidt ($200), retired resident Leslie Spurlock ($100), Complete Streets Commissioner Bianca Walser ($100) and transportation advocate Jennifer Wolosin ($100).
Mayor Peter Ohtaki has raised $2,105, including a $255 contribution from himself. Ohtaki’s contributors include Planning Commissioner Henry Riggs ($250), developer John Tarlton ($950) and former Parks and Recreation commissioner Allan Bedwell ($250).
In District 1, which represents the Belle Haven, two of the three candidates have filed finance forms. Newcomer Mike Dunn had not filed a financial form by last night (Sept. 28).
Nonprofit operator Cecilia Taylor has $3,296, giving her a slight edge over Sister City Commissioner George Yang.
Taylor has given her campaign $333. Her other contributors include resident Karen Moore ($250), retired resident Carolyn Bowser ($500), resident Nina Wouk ($150), former councilman Steve Schmidt ($200), transportation advocate Jennifer Wolosin ($100), Atherton resident Sandy Crittenden ($400) and former councilwoman Kelly Fergusson ($250).
Yang has raised 3,080. His contributors include San Carlos council candidate John McDowell ($100), Sunnyvale resident Jesus Borrillo ($250), Los Altos real estate broker Theresa Couture ($500) and retired Fremont resident Evelyn Evans ($1,000).
We read here that most of Ron Shepherd’s funds came from a $5,000 loan to himself. More that a third of Combs funds came from a $4,000 loan to himself, but this story does not report this. Subtracting that loan, Keith raised more that three times as much. Where did Keith’s money come from? This article lists fewer than $3,000 from developers. Where did the rest of Keith’s $21,700 come from?