WATSONVILLE — Rebecca Garcia, Jenny Sarmiento and Ari Parker lead their respective Watsonville City Council races in donations received, finance records show.
From July 1 to Sept. 22, incumbent Garcia raised $2,424 in the District 5 race against Casey Clark, according to records filed with the Watsonville City Clerk’s Office.
Bagel Cafe gave Garcia her largest contribution during the period, with $400. In addition, Garcia loaned her campaign $488.
Garcia’s expenditures include $491.63 to Pajaro Valley Printing for campaign handouts and envelopes.
During the same period, Clark received one donation from Watsonville Regional Airport Promotion of $999. He also loaned his campaign $1,100, and had no expenditures, according to records.
In the District 4 race, Sarmiento outpaced challenger Francisco Estrada in contributions, raising $6,218 to Estrada’s $864 during the more than two-month period.
Sarmiento’s largest contributions came from United Food & Commercial Workers Local 5 Political Action Committee and SEIU United Healthcare Workers West Political Action Committee, which each donated $1,000.
Her largest expenditures include $2,402.90 to Community Printers, Inc. of Santa Cruz for signs and campaign literature.
The majority of contributions to Estrada’s campaign came from donations of less than $100, adding up to $564, according to finance records. He loaned his campaign $790.32 over the period.
Estrada’s campaign spent $1,554.28 at Pajaro-based Chaz Embroidery for signs, shirts and other campaign paraphernalia.
For District 7, Parker raised $1,692 during the period, with fellow candidate Steve Trujillo raising $254.64, records show. Candidate Lupe Rivas did not file her report by the Sept. 27 deadline, according to City Clerk Beatriz Vazquez Flores.
Parker’s largest expenditure was $2,595.60 to Pajaro Valley Printing for campaign literature. Trujillo’s largest expenditure of $1,125.83 was also to Pajaro Valley Printing.
According to Watsonville Municipal Code, city candidates can only accept up to $400 in contributions from individuals, and up to $1,000 from businesses, labor unions or other entities.
