BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
More than $500,000 has been raised between the four Democrats running to replace Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, in the state Senate, but just one candidate has collected 65% of that amount.
Josh Becker, 49, has raised $351,829 in cash as of the end of 2018, according to financial forms filed with the California Secretary of State’s Office by Thursday’s deadline.
Becker, a Menlo Park resident, has created multiple funds and businesses that are typically policy-oriented to improve health care, education and environmental sustainability. He served for five years on the California State Workforce Development Board and serves on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. He was also the CEO of Menlo Park-based legal analytics firm Lex Machina.
Michael Brownrigg, a Burlingame councilman, has raised $145,811, according to his financial forms. Brownrigg, 57, has been on Burlingame City Council since 2009, and before that he was on the city’s planning commission for eight years. Brownrigg grew up in Los Altos Hills and worked throughout the world before settling down in Burlingame some 20 years ago.
Prior to being on council, Brownrigg was a diplomat in Hong Kong and Syria with the State Department during the Clinton administration. He was also a venture capitalist, helping small companies grow in the U.S. and China.
Shelly Masur, a Redwood City councilwoman, has raised $46,881, according to her financial filings. Masur, 54, was elected to council in 2015. She’s the CEO of Californians Dedicated to Education Foundation, which helps fund programs at public schools. Prior to joining the council, Masur was on the Redwood City school board for 10 years.
In 2012, Masur ran unsuccessfully against Warren Slocum for the supervisor seat that represents Redwood City, North Fair Oaks, East Palo Alto and part of Menlo Park.
Sally Lieber, a former Mountain View mayor and assemblywoman, raised $1,320 as of Dec. 31, according to her financial filings.
However, last month she contributed $100,000 in cash to her campaign, bumping her campaign account to $101,320. Lieber, 57, ran for the seat in 2012 against Hill and told the Post in May that it’s always been her plan to run again.
Lieber made national headlines in 2007 when she announced a bill to ban spanking a child three years or younger. She also worked on multiple bills aimed to reduce greenhouse gases, and authored legislation to increase the minimum wage.
It’s possible that more faces will be joining the race for Hill’s district, which runs from southern South San Francisco to Sunnyvale and includes both the Bay and coast sides of the Peninsula. But no one else has filed intent-to-run statements with Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office.
