As the tight race for District 4 supervisor enters its final stretch, new campaign finance reports show Olema contractor Dennis Rodoni gaining a slight fundraising edge over Novato dairyman Dominic Grossi.
The reports, filed last Thursday and covering the period between July 1 and Sept. 24, state that Mr. Rodoni received $74,471 in contributions, while Mr. Grossi received $58,869.
The largest recent donations to Mr. Rodoni’s campaign included: $5,000 from John and Valerie Wookey of Palo Alto; $5,000 from the Marin Association of Public Employees, $2,500 from Jerry Meral of Inverness and $1,000 from Patricia Neubacher of Point Reyes Station. Mr. Meral, a former water official for the Governor, petitioned Mr. Rodoni to enter the race; Ms. Neubacher is the regional director of the National Park Service’s Pacific West office who announced her retirement on Nov. 1 in the aftermath of a Congressional hearing.
Throughout his campaign, Mr. Rodoni has raised $147,721 in monetary contributions, over $6,000 in in-kind contributions and a $5,000 loan.
Mr. Grossi’s biggest benefactors this period included Julia Violich Knowles of Kentfield, who gave $5,000; the California Real Estate Political Action Committee, which gave $3,000; Hanson Bridgett, the San Francisco law firm where former Marin County supervisor Gary Giacomini is a partner, which gave $2,500; and the Marin Builders Association PAC, which gave $1,500.
Altogether, Mr. Grossi’s campaign grossed $139,492 in monetary contributions, and has received no loans or in-kind contributions.
Mr. Rodoni’s expenditures totaled $19,836 this period, and his largest payment—$10,000—was to the campaign consultants The Next Generation. The Oakland-based firm has history in Marin politics and was the primary consultant for First District Supervisor Damon Connolly’s 2014 campaign, Second District Supervisor Katie Rice’s 2012 campaign and Third District Supervisor Kate Sear’s 2012 campaign.
Mr. Grossi’s expenditures this period were much higher, at $40,297. His largest bill was to the Santa Rosa political consulting firm Muelrath Public Affairs for $15,116. His campaign spent $8,803 on literature and mailers from A-D Vantage Marketing.
Also included in Mr. Grossi’s expenditures was a $100 donation to Supervisor Connolly’s 2018 campaign fund. Supervisor Connolly said he has not taken a position in the race and that both Mr. Grossi and Mr. Rodoni attended and contributed to his annual barbecue fundraiser last August. Earlier this year, Supervisor Connolly expressed interest in the short-term rental issue troubling West Marin and called for further discussions.
Of Mr. Rodoni’s 182 individual campaign donors in the most recent reporting period, 80 of them had a West Marin address. This shouldn’t come as a shock to the West Marin native who won a majority of the vote in coastal towns when he challenged Supervisor Steve Kinsey, an incumbent, back in 2004. Just two contributions to Mr. Rodoni’s campaign were under $100, for a total of $125.
Mr. Grossi, on the other hand, reported only 36 West Marin-based contributors of the 128 donations during the last period. Thirteen contributions were made under $100, totalling $774.