Recent campaign finance reports show Bernal remains in the lead in the race for Antioch mayor

With nearly $156,000 for the former city manager, just over $139,000 for the incumbent and $8,500 for the other challenger

By Allen D. Payton

In a political campaign war, there are multiple battles: on the ground – door-to-door in the precinct, in the air – including direct mail and television, endorsements, signs, advertising and fundraising. The latest campaign finance reports in the Antioch mayoral race show that former city manager Ron Bernal has slightly increased his lead over Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe, while the other challenger, Rakesh Christian, is a distant third in the mayoral race Place is dollars.

The report, known as Form 460, shows a report on Form 497 for the period from July 1 to September 21, showing that since $1,000 was donated, the challenger had raised another $28,322, for a total of 155,967 .34 US dollars for the year. The incumbent raised $22,375 during that period and an additional $3,000 since then, for a total of $81,169. However, that amount does not include the $58,171.60 left over from his Stop the #Karen Recall committee, which Hernandez-Thorpe transferred to his re-election committee. This allowed the mayor to spend a total of $139,340.60 during the campaign.

The Form 460 report for the third candidate in the race, challenger and second-in-command for mayor Rakesh Christian, shows he loaned his committee $8,543.17 and spent it all during that period.

Bernal

The 460 report for the period shows Bernal’s largest contributions were $5,500 each from Dave and Thea Shupe of Oakley, owners of Drill Tech Drilling & Shoring, Inc. in Antioch, $3,500 from rancher and farmer Robert McGrew of Dixon and $2,000 from Michael Hurd of Antioch, self-employed in commercial real estate consulting and former track coach at Antioch High School for whom the track is named, $1,000 from Antioch State Farm Insurance agent James Lanter, 500 each $250 from Pruthviraj Desai of Antioch, owner and manager of Antioch Executive Inn, the site of the city’s homeless hotel, Duane Shoemake of Antioch, listed as retired, Joe Stokley of Pleasant Hill, broker for Stokley Properties, and $250 dollars from Lori Ogorchock’s 2022 City Council campaign committee and another $150 from the councilwoman.

His Form 497, filed Sept. 29, shows two $500 donations from Steven Abfalter of Antioch, who is listed as retired.

Bernal’s campaign committee spent almost all of its $47,228.72 during the period outside of Antioch and East County. The biggest expenses included $27,461.65 to Praetorian Public Relations of Walnut Creek for campaign consulting, $11,500 to J Wallin Opinion Research of Newport Beach for polling, $3,000 to Corey Agopian for social media creation -Content, $1,449 to the City of Antioch for candidate filing, $1,281 to the California Homeowners Voter Guide for a slate mailer and the No Party Preference Voter Guide in Sacramento valued at $981 for one another slate mailer.

Of the funds paid to Praetorian, they in turn paid out $8,756.36 to Imprint of Houston, TX for campaign paraphernalia, $3,705.43 to Landslide Communications in Laguna Niguel for literature, $3,006.80 to Prompt.io Seattle, WA for phone banking and $2,298.76 to SignsOnTheCheap.com Austin, TX and $774 to COPS Voter Guide in Sacramento for a slate mailer.

Bernal’s committee began the period with a starting cash balance of $87,797.97 and as of September 21 had spent a total of $87,076.09, giving it an ending cash balance of $68,241.10 for the remainder of the campaign. See Bernal Form 460 0701-092124, Form 497 092924

Hernandez Thorpe

The mayor’s largest contributions for the period were $5,000 each from Brentwood-based Prestige One Investment, LLC, a company owned by Antioch businessman and commercial real estate owner Sean McCauley, and Antioch-based Gary’s Liquor and Cigarettes for Less, $1,000 each -$500 each from DASS Sweets, Inc. of Antioch from Doralee Montague of Lawrenceville, GA listed as a director, Cox Communications, Robert Collins of Antioch listed as retired, Teresa Moye of Atlanta, GA, partner in Moye Properties, $500 each from DASS Sweets, Inc. of Antioch, by Contra Costa College Board Trustee Gregory Enholm of Bay Point listed as retired, Mary Simms of Antioch, owner of Simms Enterprises, Victor Baker of Pleasant Hill, CEO of EquitiFy, Pruthviraj Desai of Antioch listed as hotelier, owner of Executive Inn on E. 18th Street and Taylor Drivon of Stockton, listed as a housewife,

Additionally, another $3,000 was received on Oct. 3 from Maria Quinto Collins of Antioch, the mother of the late Angelo Quinto, for whom the city’s crisis response team is named and listed as the founder of the Angelo Quinto Foundation. Her husband is Robert Collins, listed above. Thorpe voted to settle her family’s lawsuit against the city and police for $7.5 million.

Unlike Bernal’s campaign, the Hernandez-Thorpe reelection campaign spent much of its $66,481.49 on local expenses in Antioch and East County. Major expenses during the period included $19,244.59 paid to Pittsburg-based Belleci Signs for literature and lawn signs, $11,393 for five slate mailers paid to a Torrance company, $10,627.64 to Copyworld of Berkeley for literature and $2,898 to the city of Antioch for candidate registration fees $2,689.63 to La Plazuela in Antioch for a fundraiser, $2,500 to Chef Clarinne LeGrone of Antioch for catering and event space for the Democratic Unity Rally mayor, $2,155 to LowKii Photography of Antioch, $792 to FastSigns of Antioch for 4’x8′ signs, $750 to Vicki Robinson of Antioch, the campaign treasurer, $729.34 to Facebook for online advertising, $566.30 to Cheapstees of Burlingame and $549.60 to Political Data, Inc. of Norwalk for literature.

The Mayor’s Campaign Committee began the period with a starting cash balance of $99,204.31 and as of September 21 had spent $81,742.78 and had an ending cash balance of $54,597.82. Add in Ms. Quinto Collins’ $3,000, and Hernandez-Thorpe had $58,597.82 available for the remainder of the campaign.

There were no financial errors identified in its last report. See Hernandez-Thorpe Form 460 0701-092124, Form 497 100424

Christian

Of the funds Christian loaned and spent to his campaign, the largest expenses were $4,713.58 to Sign-A-Rama of Antioch, $1,954.59 to the city of Antioch for the filing fee for candidates and $1,500 to Kingdom Graphix of Antioch for website design. He had no ending balance. See Christian Form 460 0701-092124

According to the California Secretary of State, the next reporting period ends on October 19th and candidates’ campaign committees must file another Form 460 by October 24th.

The election is on November 5th.

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