Democrat Doreen Farr is winning the fundraising contest against independent Steve Pappas in the Nov. 4 election for the 3rd District seat on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

Farr has raised about $450,000 during this calendar year, compared with Pappas’ $321,000, according to campaign financial statements that were due Monday.

The gap is even more pronounced for contributions received in the latest filing period, from July 1 to Sept. 30. In that time, Farr raised about $169,500 vs. Pappas’ $67,100.

The biggest contributor to Farr, a former Santa Barbara County planning commissioner, is the California State Council SEIU union, which this calendar year has shelled out $83,000. Other large donors include Dan Emmett of a Santa Monica-based real-estate company, who in 2008 has given $10,000. Retired Santa Barbara resident Lillian Lovelace this year also has given Farr $10,000.

The biggest contributor to Pappas, president of the Los Olivos school board, is Anne V. Crawford-Hall Enterprises, owned by Nancy Crawford-Hall, publisher of the Santa Ynez Valley Journal. During this calendar year, Anne V. Crawford-Hall Enterprises has given Pappas $52,500. Another big donor to Pappas is Jan Crosby, wife of famous singer-songwriter David Crosby, who in 2008 has given Pappas $43,000.

Farr also has nearly five times as much money in the bank, posting an ending balance of $137,000, compared with Pappas’ $28,500. So far this calendar year, Farr has spent nearly $364,000, while Pappas has spent about $305,000.

Noozhawk staff writer Rob Kuznia can be reached at rkuznia@noozhawk.com.