The March 5 primary election is approaching. Here are some interesting tidbits leading up to Election Day.
1. Santa Barbara County Third Supervisorial District candidate Frank Troise continues to underwhelm. He has raised $3,560 in 2024, and has just under $6,000 in the bank, as of Feb. 17. Somehow, he also reports about $11,300 in outstanding debts.
Of the money he has raised, Santa Barbara County Republican Party chairwoman Bobbi McGinnis gave him $800.
For the Santa Barbara County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, however, Troise is the choice. The union gave him $5,500.
Troise’s lack of fundraising has befuddled the people who pay attention to such things. His fundraising amount would barely be respectable at most private school jogathons, much less running for a seat on the Board of Supervisors.
2. Lompoc Mayor Jenelle Osborne, who also is running for the Third District seat, has stepped up her fundraising. Ater reporting only $100 during the last funding cycle, she reported raising $7,548 in 2024. Her ending cash balance, as of Feb. 27, was 7,476.50.
The Homebuilders Association of the Central Coast Political Action Committee gave her most of that — $5,500.
Despite her increased numbers, like Troise, she’s a massive underdog heading into the primary. A successful candidate needs to raise money to get his or her message out, particularly against an incumbent.
The top two candidates will face each other in the November election, unless incumbent Joan Hartmann manages to win outright on March 5, with 50.1% of the vote or more.
3. Speaking of Hartmann, she has no problem raising money. Hartmann raised $49,000 in 2024 and has $113,000 in the bank. She’s advertising everywhere, sending mailers to people’s homes, and is on the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party slate.
Hartmann also received $5,500 from the Homebuilders Association of the Central Coast Political Action Committee. Assemblyman Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, also gave her $4,000.
Just about every elected Democrat has endorsed Hartmann and she’s in the driver’s seat to win outright on March 5, unless Troise or Osborne can rub some sticks together and get their campaigns going at the last-minute.
4. The Democratic Women of Santa Barbara County is playing an influential role in this election.
It is firmly behind Hartmann, giving her $2,100 on Feb. 23, as an independent expenditure. It also gave $1,000 this period to Krishna Flores, who is challenging Bob Nelson for the Fourth District supervisor’s seat.
As of Feb. 17, the Democratic Women organization has $75,000 in the bank. Although a chartered club under the Santa Barbara Democratic Party, it doesn’t always follow the party’s lead. More on that later …
5. Fourth District Supervisor Bob Nelson is running for a second term on the board. He has raised $31,000 this year and has $46,700 in the bank.
He received $2,500 from Dennis Patrick in Buellton and another $100 from the Santa Barbara County Republican Central Committee.
Flores took in $2,775 this year and has a total of $3,800 in the bank. The Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee and the Democratic Women each gave her $1,000 this year.
6. In the 24th Congressional District, incumbent Salud Carbajal has a huge fundraising lead over his two challengers, Thomas Cole and Helen Pasquarella.
Carbajal has $2.7 million in the bank for his re-election bid. He raised $1.2 million since January 2023.
Cole has about $14,500 in the bank and raised. Pasquarella has not reported any fundraising.
7. The Republicans in Santa Barbara County are at war. There’s a slate running looking to tip the power on the Santa Barbara County Republican Central Committee. They have created a website, unite2win805.com.
What’s the problem? They think the current leadership, under chairwoman Bobbi McGinnis, isn’t effective at recruiting formidable conservative candidates to run for office, along with other transparency issues.
8. Among those looking to change things is Mary Hudson, the mother of pop superstar Katy Perry. She’s on the slate, along with Cheryl Trosky, who are both running in District 1. Expect to hear them roar with new ideas and plans for voter outreach if elected.
Check out the slate talk on the Santa Barbara Talks podcast.
9 . And now we get to Das Williams. First District Supervisor Williams hasn’t faced this much bad media since he challenged Janet Wolf for the Second District seat in 2005 — while he was still in his first term on the Santa Barbara City Council — and lost.
Williams somehow lost the endorsement of the Santa Barbara Independent, was hammered in the Montecito Journal, and also canceled two scheduled appearances on former News-Press executive editor Jerry Roberts’ Newsmakers show.
He also lost the endorsement of the Santa Barbara Women’s Political Committee and the Santa Barbara County Democratic Women. Noozhawk does not endorse political candidates.
Last week, Williams’ campaign team misspelled the city he lives in on a mailer, spelling Carpinteria “Carpenteria.”
Williams is still a heavy favorite to win re-election. He’s entrenched in the Santa Barbara County Democratic Party, has endorsements from top elected officials, including Rep. Salud Carbajal and state Sen. Monique Limón, both D-Santa Barbara, and has outspent his opponent, Roy Lee, significantly.
Williams raised $42,000 in 2024 and has $158,000 in the bank.
10. Lee has his own challenges, but momentum is on his side. The Carpinteria city councilman actually outraised Williams in 2024. Lee raised just under $46,000 this year.
If ever there were a sleeper candidate, it is Lee.
His campaign experienced a big boost two weeks ago when Barney Melekian, a former Santa Barbara County undersheriff and acting Santa Barbara police chief, along with retired Santa Barbara Fire Chief Pat McElroy, both endorsed him.
Former Santa Barbara County District Attorney Joyce Dudley has also backed Lee.
The endorsement was big for Lee because it allowed him to raise money and boost the campaign.
Still, most of the organizations that opted not to endorse Williams also decided not to endorse Lee, offering voters a “no endorsement.”
Lee, who owns Uncle Chen Chinese Restaurant on Casitas Pass Road, is a straight-forward, no-nonsense candidate, who immigrated from Taiwan as a child.
A registered Democrat, Lee got a late start but has been seen recently marching with the Santa Barbara Teachers Association, which is locked in a fight with the Santa Barbara Unified School District for more pay, and even showed up at the Women’s March and marched up State Street in support of equal rights for women.
Williams spoke at the Ukraine rally on Saturday. Lee was also there, but hung out in the background.
