Despite ending her fundraising efforts, Palo Alto Parks and Recreation Commissioner Yudy Deng raised $16,000 in two weeks, according to finance forms released Thursday.
That brings Deng’s fundraising total to $182,131, by far the most a hopeful for Palo Alto City Council has raised.
Deng shut down her fundraising efforts on Oct. 2, shortly after her opponent, Planning and Transportation Commissioner Bryna Chang announced that she would stop fundraising.
For her part, Chang raised $1,977 from nine donors before deciding to stop raising money.
Of Chang’s nine donors between Sept. 20 to Sept. 25, eight are from Palo Alto. Her one out of town donor is listed as the “Business and Housing Network” in Los Gatos. Deng has caught attention during the campaign for her many out-of-town donors. This time around, she had 14 Palo Alto donors who pitched in $7,374 and eight out of town donors who gave her $8,628, according to her finance forms.
Deng has collected 55 of 157 donations come from Palo Alto.
Deng previously said she she asked for donations from friends from college, the nonprofit sector and her old home in Bellevue, Wash. She said most of her friends are tech engineers, attorneys or people she knows from nonprofit work. Deng is the chief development officer for the Society for Heart’s Delight, a nonprofit focused on engaging Chinese immigrants in the South Bay.
“Nothing suspicious,” she said in an interview on Sept. 9.
Chang and Deng are competing for one of the three seats up for grabs this election.
Other contenders
Also running are Mayor Vicki Veenker, Councilman Ed Lauing, Dr. Gary Gelchik, software engineer Brian Hamachek and Democratic Socialist Raymond Goins. Councilwoman Julie Lythcott-Haims opted not to seek reelection.
Lauing has raised a total of $51,506, according to his finance forms.
Goins has raised a total of $4,428 during his campaign. Veenker’s latest campaign forms were not immediately available yesterday, but as of Sept. 25 had raised $50,119.
Dr. Gary Gechlik and software engineer Brian Hamachek reported no fundraising.
Only a politically clueless fool would ignore the Arcadia scandal and fail to ask who’s really bankrolling $182,000 in campaign money—and what they expect in return.