(See our spreadsheet showing the donations to each candidate.)
BY STEPHANIE LAM
Daily Post Correspondent
Vamsi Velagapudi, a Menlo Park finance and audit commissioner, is leading incumbent Drew Combs in fundraising for Menlo Park City Council.
Velagapudi raised $8,498 from 73 donors through June 30, according to campaign finance forms, not including loans from the candidate or in-kind fundraising.
Combs followed with $5,425 from 20 donors, again not including loans from the candidate.
The two are competing to represent District 2 which includes the Willows and Suburban Park neighborhoods.
Out-of-state donors
Velagapudi received $4,303, or 49%, of his donations from out-of-town contributors. Combs had only four out-of-town donors and 16 from Menlo Park. Combs’ four out-of-town contributors gave him a total of $400.
Velagapudi poured $1,500 into his campaign. His largest donor came from Michael Levinson ($1,000) a vice president of product at Meta, where Combs works.
Other notable donors included Menlo Park City School Board member Francesca Segre, who is employed as a PR adviser to U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo, ($50); and Matthew Rascoff, vice provost for Digital Education at Stanford ($50).
Meanwhile, Combs’s biggest donors include Menlo Park resident John Hanley ($1,000) and Peter Joshua ($2,000) a resident who sued the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority in 2022 alleging that the environmental review to replace the bridge that connects Pope Street in Menlo Park to Chaucer Street in Palo Alto was insufficient.
In addition to those fundraising totals, Combs gave himself $2,000 while Velagapudi gave himself donations or loans totaling $2,500. The self-donations were not included in the figures above.
Reed vs. Melahn
In the race to represent District 4 to replace Betsy Nash, Grammy-nominated musician Charlotte Reed has a wide lead over newcomer Laura Melahn. District 4 includes Allied Arts and Downtown Menlo Park.
Reed has raised $14,270, while Melahn has raised $2,050, which came out of her own pocket, according to campaign finance forms.
Melahn is a managing partner at Meadow Valley Partners, an investment and advisory firm.
Reed’s report lists 45 donors, but only 14 of them live in Menlo Park. Of the $14,270 Reed raised, Menlo Park residents gave $10,402.
Belle Haven race
In the race to represent District 1, which includes Belle Haven, two-term incumbent Cecilia Taylor isn’t running again. Parks and Recreation Commission member Wonman Lee will oppose James Rohr.
Neither candidate has reported any donations as of Aug. 4.
Velagapudi was a resident of Allied Arts in Menlo Park until a couple months before the filing deadline, where he declared residency in the Willows. I can’t think of anyone who would be living in Allied Arts who would wake up one day and say, “I think I’ll rent in a more crowded neighborhood.” Of course you wouldn’t. he moved to run backed by Karen Grove and Menlo Together. Special interest groups that DON’T live in Menlo are stacking the council.
Karen Grove, daughter of a billionaire, has owned most of the members of council except for Combs for several years. Grove is very *woke* and is the driving force behind the downtown hi-rise public housing projects. As Grove’s puppets leave, she’s replacing them with new ones.
I don’t understand this comment. Karen Grove also donated to Drew Combs before and he shows up at her events. It’s in his 2018 campaign finance records. He also voted to build on the parking lots.
Very true. The YIMBY coalition, Menlo Together (funded by Grove), and others are stacking the deck, making sure they are owed by all of the candidates. Combs has been bad news for the homeowners of District 2. Sadly, Velagapudi will probably be worse.