Santa Barbara City Council Candidates Make Final Fundraising Pushes 

With Election Day just two weeks away, Santa Barbara’s City Council candidates are making their final fundraising pushes in hopes of earning a little extra cash and ultimately a seat on the council.

District 1 incumbent Alejandra Gutierrez has raised $46,402 this year after scrounging up a whopping $21,000 since September 21, with notable $5,500 donations coming from both Meridian Group Real Estate Management Inc. and the Santa Barbara Rental Property Association. Fierce competitor Wendy Santamaria sits at $28,620 raised after receiving $2,500 from the Santa Barbara City Firefighters Association and another $1,000 from Eileen White Read, a retired Wall Street Journal reporter. 

Seven-time council candidate Cruzito Cruz, also running to represent the Eastside, didn’t get his hands on any new dough, but he wasn’t the only one.

In District 2, incumbent Michael Jordan — who was sitting on a pretty $73,600 pile of cash at the end of September — did not report any additional contributions in the past month, nor did his opponent, independent consultant Terra Taylor, who has raised $75 this year.

In the past month, District 3 incumbent Oscar Gutierrez raised $4,000 with the help of SEIU Local 620 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC, while his sensei-turned-political-opponent Tony Becerra raised $4,500 with a key donation from the Santa Barbara City Firefighters Association. This brings the Westside candidates’ fundraising totals to $22,654 and $19,248, respectively. 

While this year’s fundraising efforts underlie a gripping council race, a potential conflict of interest adds another layer of complexity to Becerra’s Election Day hopes. Due to Becerra’s financial interests in his martial arts studio, the Academy of Koei-Kan Karate-Do, his opponent argues he must recuse himself from voting on any city projects within 500 feet of the San Andres Street building — about a block in every direction — if elected.