By the Daily Post staff
A former mayor seeking to get back onto the Redwood City Council has the largest campaign war chest, but most of it is coming from his previous time on council.
JEFF GEE, who was on council from 2009 to 2018, has a warchest of $35,895, $24,565 of which came from his aborted 2018 re-election campaign. Since the start of his new campaign, he has raised $10,953, including contributions from the California Real Estate PAC ($1,000); California Apartments Association PAC ($500); Northern California Carpenters Regional Council ($500); Bradley Wong, a resident and consultant ($1,000); Harbor Village Mobile Home Park ($1,000); and Peter Joshua, a Menlo Park resident and CEO with Solarous Inc. ($500).
Gee is seeking election in District 1, which covers the Redwood Shores neighborhood.
NANCY RADCLIFFE is running against Gee. She has raised a total of $11,870. Her contributors include Kevin Bondonno, a planning commissioner ($200); Gwendolyn Minor, a teacher at North Star Academy ($300); resident Daniela Gasparini ($200); Susie Chow of Foster City ($200); San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa ($100); former Pete’s Harbor owner Paula Uccelli ($500); Robert Wilson of Redwood City ($1,000); Dick Claire, former mayor ($200); Lorianna Kastrop, port commissioner ($100); Councilman Ian Bain ($250); and Councilwoman Diana Reddy ($250).
ALICIA AGUIRRE of District 7, which represents the Farm Hill area, has raised slightly more money than one of her competitors, Chris Rasmussen, while the third competitor in the race decided not to raise money.
Aguirre, who is currently on council, has raised a total of $28,553. Her contributors include California Real Estate PAC ($1,000); DRIVE committee ($500); Harbor Village Mobile Home Park ($1,000); Lori Lochtefeld, former owner of the Fox Theater ($1,000); Dr. Jose Manuel Pena ($1,000); Recology ($500); resident Josh Pierry ($500); Kirk McGowan, Sunnyvale resident and real estate agent ($500); Susan Wagstaffe, Menlo Park resident ($500); and former sheriff Greg Munks ($250).
CHRIS RASMUSSEN, a retired police officer, has raised $22,006, the most out of any challenger in the race. His contributors include Northern California Carpenters Regional Council ($500), John Pimentel, a candidate for San Mateo County Community College board ($250); LiUNA Local 261 ($1,000); state senate candidate Josh Becker ($500); Redwood General Tire ($500); Rachel Holt, a Redwood City resident and San Mateo County judge ($150); and Julie Pardini, a retired resident ($5,000).
MARK WOLHAN has filed paperwork with City Clerk Pam Aguilar saying that he does not plan to raise or spend more than $2,000.
MICHAEL SMITH, who is running unopposed for District 4, which encompasses the Five Points area, has raised $15,695. His contributors include Northern California Carpenters Regional Council ($500); Sonlia Darden, a Brooklyn resident ($1,000); IBEW Local 617 ($500); Jason Galisatus, a 2018 council contender ($1,000); David Bennett of Bento cannabis delivery ($1,000); Neil Rudisky, CEO of Juva Life ($1,000); and John Parhanui, CEO of telemedicine business Sami Services ($1,000).
JANET BORGENS, an incumbent, is the only candidate who filed updated finance forms with the city clerk in District 3, which represents the Friendly Acres neighborhood.
Borgens has raised a total of $17,713. She’s recieved contributions from Rachel Holt, a Redwood City resident and San Mateo County judge ($150); Emily Beach, Burlingame mayor ($150); Ernie Schmidt, planning commissioner and Fox Theater manager ($250); resident Bonnie Miller ($400); resident Margaret Becker ($200); Christina Umhofer, a 2018 council candidate ($1,000); resident Kris Johnson ($500); Councilman Ian Bain ($250); San Mateo County Supervisor Warren Slocum ($500); Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian ($250); and $500 from SMB Metal Management.
ISABELLA CHU, chair of the Friendly Acres Neighborhood Association and co-founder of Redwood City Forward, had not filed her complete form with the city by the Post’s deadline. But between last month and now, she has received at least another $3,000 in her coffers due to contributions of $1,000 each from the Sobrato Organization, the California Real Estate PAC and Harbor Village.
Previously, Chu had $4,724 in her war chest, including a $2,000 loan to herself. Other donors include Sabeek Pradhan, a Livermore resident and Waymo employee ($500); Spencer Ahrens, a Facebook engineer ($500); Stephen Levy, an economist from Palo Alto ($250); Leora Ross, an associate director at San Mateo County’s housing council ($150); and Lucas Ramirez, Mountain View councilman ($100).
LISSETTE ESPINOSA-GARNICA, an educator, did not have her form uploaded by the Post’s deadline, but she previously reported raising $5,338.