Williams leads candidates in fundraising

ERIC LINDBERG
DAILY SOUND STAFF WRITER

The first round of campaign finance disclosure forms for Santa Barbara City Council candidates were due on Saturday, providing a peek into the coffers of those running for a Council seat this November.
Incumbent Das Williams has pulled in the most cash between January 1 and September 22 — close to $55,000 — but has also spent the most of any candidate. Current Councilmember Helene Schneider is running second in total donations, but has the largest stockpile saved up with $22,740 in the bank.

Outside influences appear to be minimal as most of the contributions have come from local folks. Here's a quick breakdown, in alphabetical order, of how each candidate stacks up in the moola department:

Incumbent Brian Barnwell
Barnwell has $7,057 left in his campaign piggy bank after spending $3,514 over the year. Notable donations include $2,500 from the Santa Barbara Police Officer's Association, a $250 nod from State Assemblymember Pedro Nava and $100 donations from former mayor and Councilmember Hal Conklin and Goleta City Councilmember Roger Aceves.

Challenger Dale Francisco
Including a $10,000 loan in his name, Francisco is sitting on $15,438, having spent only $505.60 on his campaign effort so far. An outspoken opponent of Measure A, among other issues, Francisco has drawn the support of several other "No on A" folks. Sharon Westby, who helped pen the ballot argument against Measure A, forked over $1,000, a donation matched by her husband, James. Another "No on A" signatory James Kahan also pitched in $500.

Challenger Michelle Giddens
After receiving $5,300, Giddens has spent about $3,430, leaving her with around $1,870 in the bank. All her donations are from individuals, including a $2,000 infusion from the aforementioned Westbys.

Challenger Robert Hansen
Hansen filed the short disclosure form, signaling that he has not received any donations.

Challenger Frank Hotchkiss
The Sotheby's Realtor has received $3,399 and dished out just $449.64 on his election effort, giving him about $3,450 to play around with. As is the case with Giddens, many of Hotchkiss' donations are from individuals, including several of his fellow Realtors.

Challenger Daniel Litten
Litten filed a short disclosure form stating he has no donations to report.

Incumbent Helene Schneider
Since January, Schneider has elicited close to $34,000 in campaign donations spending only $8,283.94 so far. That leaves her with $22,740, about $7,000 more than the nearest candidate. Her donation list includes such notables as former State Assemblymember Hannah-Beth Jackson ($299), County Sheriff Bill Brown ($100) and actor Jeff Bridges ($100). The Planned Parenthood Action Fund also pitched in $500, while the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee gave $250.

Incumbent Das Williams
Last but not least, Williams has pulled in $22,539 since July 1, bringing his total for the year to $54,635. The Councilmember has dropped about $42,000 on his campaign, putting his current balance at $15,120. The Santa Barbara Police Officer's Association chipped in $5,000; the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers wrote a check for $1,500; and the United Food and Commercial Workers added $500. Nava also gave him the thumbs-up with a $250 contribution, and Conklin tossed in $225.

The next round of disclosure forms are due on October 25.