Thomas jumps ahead early on campaign fundraising drive

Calaveras County District 4 Board of Supervisors candidate Russ Thomas alone has sprung out strong from the starting blocks in local election campaign fundraising, according to the first filings available Thursday from the county elections office.

Thomas received $6,019 in cash contributions and spent $5,355, leaving $663 in cash on hand for his bid to unseat former board colleague Tom Tryon.

Former Angels Camp Mayor Debbie Ponte is also challenging Tryon in the June 5 primary.

Thomas, who lost a 2010 re-election bid in District 5, before redistricting last year, loaned his own campaign $1,450 on March 9.
   

His largest independent contribution was $750 from the Calaveras Business Coalition, a political action committee also active in the 2010 supervisorial elections, with Doug McKee as its treasurer.

McKee is the father of Trinitas golf course co-owner Michelle Nemee. Though Nemee, her husband Michael and Trinitas did not contribute to the PAC, conjecture swirled around the organizations’ motives in the last election.

It is “comprised of local business leaders, business owners and private citizens who are concerned … that an unfriendly business environment has been created and has significantly contributed to the decline in our economy, unemployment higher than our neighboring counties and a serious decrease in emergency services,” McKee wrote in 2010, adding “the CBC has broad-based support and includes over 60 individual donors.”

The coalition contributed both to Thomas, who voted to approve Trinitas in 2009, and his successful challenger, Darren Spellman, in 2010, as well as a failed bid by Arnold business owner Bill McManus to replace Merita Callaway.

Callaway, like Tryon, voted against the controversial project.

Murphys Hotel owner Dorian Faught contributed $250 to Thomas’ campaign. Faught publicly clashed with Tryon a few years ago on his ability to put up a neon sign at the establishment.

Most Thomas contributions originated from individuals and small-business owners in Copperopolis but a total of $1,250 trickled in from out of the county, including $150 from Farmington grape growers and $100 from a Hollister masonry contractor.

Though Thomas has gained an early monetary edge, recent county election history shows it may not be the deciding factor in the race. Thomas substantially outraised Spellman in 2010 and Tryon wound up the largest recipient of donations in his 2008 supervisorial bid.

In the four-man District 2 race, former Supervisor Michael Dell’Orto reported a $900 loan to his own campaign with $764 spent on the filing fee and a candidate statement. Bryce Randall lent his campaign $709 and put the same amount toward filing fees and a candidate statement.

No other supervisorial candidates, including three District 1 competitors and two who are vying for District Attorney, had financial disclosures on file by Thursday’s deadline.

That may be because they have not met the $1,000 limit which requires a disclosure statement or they may be late in filing, said Elections Coordinator Becky Andahl.

The next deadline to file campaign finance information is May 24.
   
Contact Sean Janssen at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 890-7741.