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).
