Who is funding the candidates for Downey City Council?

Photo by Joan Anderson, DowneyDailyPhotos.com

DOWNEY – A review of mandated financial disclosures filed by Downey City Council hopefuls reveals that most candidates are funding their campaigns through personal loans or local contributions. 

One exception, however, is District 3 candidate Frine Medrano, who has received more than $29,000 mostly from state elected officials, lobbyists, labor groups and sources outside Downey. 

Below is a closer look at the City Council candidates and their funding sources. Two candidates – Alma Marquez (District 1) and Art Montoya (District 3) –  were not required to file financial disclosures for the first half of the calendar year and Art Gonzalez (District 5) does not have an open campaign committee and thus has no filing obligations. 

Each of the candidates' financial disclosures can be viewed by clicking their names below. Although the disclosures are public documents, the Patriot removed personal information such as addresses and phone numbers.

Hector Lujan (District 1): An assistant principal at Paramount Adult School, Hector Lujan reported receiving zero contributions between Jan. 1 and June 30. 

Lujan, who did not publicly begin his campaign until mid July, had an ending cash balance of $50 in his campaign account as of June 30. 

Blanca Pacheco (District 1): Blanca Pacheco kickstarted her campaign by loaning herself $12,000, but she's also received donations from 50 supporters. 

Her largest contributor has been her mom, Mariana Pacheco, who gave $1,000 between Jan. 1 and June 30. In total, Pacheco collected $7,680 in monetary contributions, plus $300 in donated services.

Donors include: 

Mariana Pacheco: $1,000

Paul Gomez: $500
Miguel Duarte: $500

Oscar Amezcua: $400
Robert Sievers: $400

Francisco Sandoval: $352 ($52 monetary, $300 for DJ services)

Manuel Frias: $300

James Horan: $250
Pamela Iniguez: $250
Ruth Medina: $250
Patricia Medina: $250
Javier Munoz: $250
Dennis Saab: $250

Jesse Arana: $200
Manuel Banuelos: $200

Andy Zuologa: $150
Jose Tello: $150

John Casillas: $100
Joey Hernandez: $100
Jonathan Garza: $100
William Gutierrez: $100
Tifanie Joudeh: $100
Grace Kramer: $100
Clay McDonals: $100
Manuel Salas: $100
Ed Schneeberger: $100
Jeffrey Gold: $100
Roy Jimenez: $100
Jerry Wetzstein: $100

Raul Elias: $99
Martha Sodetani: $99

Jerry Caligiuri: $50
Michael Calvert: $50
Michael Chirco: $50
Margaret Garcia: $50
Catherine Godinez: $50
Ana Gonzalez: $50
Robe Jojola: $50
Maria Maciel: $50
Louis Morales: $50
Monica Nunez: $50
Joanna Peterson: $50
Ricardo Ramirez: $50
Joe Ramos: $50
Melanie Pozez: $50
Frank Jimenez: $50
Alondra Salgado-Quigg: $50
Victor Sanchez: $50
Carolyn Wojciechowski: $50

Antonia Jauregui: $30

Frine Medrano (District 3): Frine Medrano collected $29,161 in contributions between Jan. 1 and June 30. Among her largest donors were state senators Ricardo Lara, Tony Mendoza and Kevin De Leon, and UFCW Local 770, which represents retail food and meat workers. Each donated $1,000. 

Other prominent donors include the Los Angeles County Young Democrats ($1,000) and Ryan Oganesian, who is listed as owner of Waste Management and gave $250.

Felipe Agredano: $1,000
Anastacio Alarcon Jr.: $1,000
Pablo Artaza: $1,000
Laura Barrera: $1,000
Teresa Colio: $1,000
Kevin De Leon for Senate: $1,000
Samuel Kbushyan: $1,000
Ricardo Lara: $1,000
Local 770 United Food and Commercial Workers Union PAC: $1,000
Los Angeles County Young Democrats: $1,000
Frine Medrano: $1,000
Mendoza for Senate: $1,000
Juan Montenegro: $1,000
Urias for Assembly 2016: $1,000

Gloria's Bar and Grill: $500
Hernandez Carpet Brokers: $500
Mike Fong for Community College Board of Trustee: $500
Daniel Lopez: $500
Frank Quevedo: $500
Antonio Torres: $500
Urban Associates Inc.: $500
Vega for Community College Board Trustee: $500

Alfredo Medina: $350
Ben Pak: $350

Albert Cuevas: $300
Adam Ma: $300
LV Travel & Wireless Inc.: $300
Abigail Ramirez: $300

Art Becerra: $250
Jose Brito: $250
Pete Cruz: $250
Sandra Figoeroa: $250
Sos Grigoryan: $250
Cecy Groom: $250
Gevik Hevsepian: $250
Elizabeth Jinzo: $250
Sonia Molina: $250
Ryan Oganesian: $250
Gerard Orozco: $250
Global Paratransit Inc.: $250
Laura Peralta: $250
Jacob Stevens: $250
Baydsar Thomasian: $250
Western Loan & Jewelry LLC: $250

Francisco Torres: $225

Derrick Alatorre: $200
Jennifer Barraza: $200
Maria Lou Calanche: $200
Magdalena Carrasco: $200
Alan Kenney: $200
Heriberto Mendoza: $200
Graciela Ortiz: $200

Joaquin Castaneda: $125

Richard Alatorre: $100
Javier Angulo: $100
Jose Barajas: $100
Sanjay Bawan: $100
Marcella Cortez: $100
Greg Hayes: $100
Paul Kim: $100
Karina Macias: $100
Merit Realty Group: $100
David Meza: $100
Victoria Minetta: $100
Ricardo Mireles: $100
Consuelo Milina: $100
Maria Paz: $100
Mike's Radiator Muffler Service: $100
Erick Ramirez: $100
Diana Rodriguez: $100
Monica Rodriguez: $100
Ari Ruiz: $100
Christina Vaca: $100
Nora Vargas: $100
Leticia Vasquez: $100
Irene Wongpec: $100
Diverse Strategies for Organizing Inc.: $100
Alatorre Market Inc.: $100
Perez Pacheco Consulting: $100

Louis Morales (District 3): Louis Morales, a planning commissioner appointed by Councilman Roger Brossmer, reported zero contributions between Jan. 1 and June 30. 

His campaign treasury, however, held $4,375, effective July 1.

Rick Rodriguez (District 3): Rick Rodriguez leads all candidates in money received, collecting $35,973. That includes a $20,000 loan Rodriguez made to his campaign, and a $5,000 loan from his company, RMI International.

The bulk of Rodriguez's contributors appear to be Downey residents, civic leaders and small business owners, including separate $1,000 contributions from Jeffrey Hodge, president of Honda World Downey, and Tim Hutcherson, owner of Downey Nissan.

Jeffrey Hodge: $1,000
Tim Hutcherson: $1,000
Christine Murray: $1,000
Mike Murray: $1,000

Michael Ferrua: $500
Walter Hill: $500
Brittany Hutcherson: $500
Shelton Food & Beverage: $500 (food costs at Rio Hondo Event Center)

Bob Ciatti: $250
Tod Corrin: $250
Steve Roberson: $250
Erick Solares: $250

Bill Hare: $200

Elena Rabinovich: $150

Roxanne Boynton: $100
Gavril Gabriel: $100
Joseph Grillo: $100
Norma Hernandez: $100
Roger Nieves: $100
Hector Paiz: $100
Viktoria Rama: $100
Dennis Saab: $100
Laurie Tyler: $100
Steven Weber: $100
Jerry Wetzstein: $100

Alex Saab (District 5): Mayor Alex Saab, who is running for a second and final four-year term on the City Council, reported zero contributions during the first half of this year. 

His campaign account contained $91.92 as of June 30.