Candidates make strides in fund-raising

<p>With four months to go until the primary vote for the open 2nd District Sonoma County Board of Supervisors seat, Petaluma council members have reported substantial strides in fund-raising, with Mayor Pam Torliatt in the lead.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>According to campaign funding reports released Feb. 1., Torliatt has $64,927 in the bank, ahead of all other candidates.</p><p>Torliatt's contributions are made up of mostly small donations from individuals as well as some organizations and businesses. Her expenditures include payments for events and mailings, and about $10,000 for a campaign consulting firm. Torliatt transferred $19,017 from her fund for her 2006 bid for mayor to her supervisor campaign fund in October. Torliatt's term as mayor ends this year.</p><p>Councilman David Rabbitt, whose campaign documents showed no donations before the Feb. 1 deadline, reports that he now has about $30,000 in checks with early commitments that will get him to $40,000.</p><p>Rabbitt's term as a city councilmember ends this year.</p><p>Rabbitt was recently accused of carrying debt in violation of campaign finance laws by open-government group Petaluma Tomorrow. Rabbitt said that his debt, illegal under 2004's Measure R, has been paid off and that campaign debt is “not ideal, but not uncommon.”</p><p>Councilman Mike Healy has $11,156 in the bank for his supervisorial bid.</p><p>Healy's term ends in 2012, and he will continue as city councilmember if he does not become supervisor. </p><p>Former Petaluma councilmember Mike O'Brien, who Kerns supports to succeed him, has $13,322 to spend.</p><p>John King, a Penngrove rancher and accountant, has $8,125.</p><p>The next campaign finance statements are due in late March.</p><p>The June 8 primary vote was prompted by County Supervisor Mike Kerns' retirement. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters will run against each other in November. Candidates have until March 17 to file to run for supervisor, according to the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters.</p><p>Kerns has been supervisor of the county's southernmost 2nd District since 1999. The district includes Petaluma and Cotati as well as parts of Rohnert Park.</p><p>City Council elections are in November, but campaign statements show some action. </p><p>David Glass has filed to run for mayor, but his reports do not show much money received yet.</p><p>Mike Harris, whose term ends this year, has raised $32,571 to spend on his re-election. Teresa Barrett, whose term also ends this year, has received $200 in the last year. She could not be reached for comment on whether or not she will seek re-election.</p><p>New candidates for City Council must file to run in July, according to the city clerk's office.</p><p>Voters should soon see some changes in how local elections are conducted due to the recent Supreme Court decision on campaign communications.</p><p>“It's pretty far-reaching,” said Dr. Andy Merrifield, professor of political science at Sonoma State University, about the ruling.</p><p>The recent decision gives businesses more power to communicate directly to voters, but doesn't change the prohibitions on businesses donating directly to candidates. However, Merrifield said that companies can buy advertisements to influence local elections and bring about policy decisions that will be profitable for them.</p><p>“The reality is electing people that have a loose attitude versus a restrictive attitude toward zoning laws can have an impact on businesses,” said Merrifield. Merrifield said that the Dutra and Regency debates are examples of situations that would prompt the developers of the projects to buy advertisements to influence voters.</p><p>(Contact Philip Riley at philip.riley@arguscourier.com)</p>