Holbrook, McKeown, Arnold Lead Fundraising Race

By Jorge Casuso

Oct. 9 -- Relying on nearly 300 individual contributions -- ranging from $5 to $250 each -- incumbent Robert Holbrook is the top fundraiser among the nine City Council candidates, having collected a total of $31,906 in contributions.

Incumbent Kevin McKeown is second with $25,109 (largely due to a $10,000 loan); followed by Abby Arnold with $22,548, and Matteo Dinolfo, who has raised $18,920 in contributions through September 30, according to finance disclosure statements filed with the City Clerk.

Finishing a distant fifth was Josefina Aranda, who has raised $4,908; followed by incumbent Pam O'Connor, with $2,075, and Chuck Allord, with $2,050, according to the statements, which were due on Monday.

Jerry Rubin and Pro Se had not submitted statements as of 5 p.m. Wednesday, according to the City Clerk's office.

Unlike the two other incumbents, Holbrook -- who is making his fourth bid, this time without a supporting slate -- cannot count on the backing of the city's two most influential political organizations, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights or the Police Officers Association.

SMRR, which has endorsed McKeown, O'Connor and Arnold, raised $40,584 during the latest filing period, which covers July 1 through September 30, bringing its total cash on hand to $88,663.

The Police Union -- which along with the Firefighters and Teachers unions has endorsed McKeown, O'Connor and Dinolfo -- had not submitted a statement as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.

After expenses, Holbrook and McKeown had the largest cash balances in their campaign coffers, with $27,914 and $23,117 respectively, followed by Arnold with $15,358 and Dinolfo, with $11,427.

Aranda had a balance of $1,396, followed by Allord with $631 and O'Connor with $78.

In the race for four School Board seats, incumbent Brenda Gottfried led the six candidates in fundraising with $10,000 (all of it in the form of a loan). She was followed by Oscar de la Torre, with $6,936; Emily Bloomfield with $5,595 (bringing her total to $11,240 for the year to date, including $2,000 in loans) and Julia Brownley with $4,093.

Ann Cochran and Shane McLoud had not submitted statements.

Brownley, Bloomfield and de la Torre are on the SMRR slate.

Incumbent Nancy Cattell-Luckenbach led the six hopefuls in fundraising in the race for four seats on the College Board, with $10,995 ($3,991 in loans). She was followed by the three other incumbents, Herb Roney, with $9,088; Carole Curry with $6,287 ($500 in loans), and Dorothy Erhart-Morrison with $5,963 ($3,000 in loans, which now total $6,000 of the $9,020 she has raised to date).

Challengers Nancy Greenstein raised $4,180 ($500 in loans) and Bill Winslow raised $3,299 ($3,000 in loans).