Righeimer leads in campaign funds

Jim Righeimer has managed to raise more money than any of the other eight Costa Mesa City Council candidates through the end of September, including the two incumbents and the former mayor.

According to financial statements, which were due Monday night for all candidates, Righeimer has managed to accumulate almost $40,000 in contributions.

Much of the money came from real estate developers and Republican Party donors whom Righeimer counts among his close friends.

“I’m a bit surprised actually,” Righeimer said Tuesday. “I was under the impression that to be on top I would need $50,000 to $60,000.”

Former Mayor Gary Monahan is in second place, with about $31,000, mostly raised in the last couple of months. Many of the same donors gave large amounts of money to him, Mayor Eric Bever and Righeimer.

Katrina Foley, in third place with about $25,000, received most of her money in small donations from individuals. Unlike Righeimer, Monahan and Bever, she doesn’t have any donations more than $1,000, and only one donation more than $500.

“I’m trying to get the most money from the most number of people because that shows you have strong community support,” Foley said.

Among her supporters are many lawyers and judges who are personal friends and business colleagues.

Bever is in fourth place with about $17,000 raised, a large portion of which comes from developers.

The top four fundraisers have spent significant money on professionally made yard signs, fliers and campaign literature.

On the far opposite end of the spectrum, three candidates aren’t raising any money for their campaigns, saying they want to focus their energy on getting the word out to the community by going door to door and soliciting the help of friends and family.

Chris McEvoy, Lisa Reedy and Nick Moss all filed form 470, stating that they will not be raising more than $1,000 this year.

McEvoy has even made his own yard signs, with the help of his father, a stencil and some black spray paint. His signs are posted at places around the city.

McEvoy said he wants to show the community how ingenuity and creativity can make a lot out of a little.

“I’m not asking for a dollar from anyone,” McEvoy said. “I don’t want to have any outside obligations. I don’t want anyone to come knocking on my door and say, ‘Hey, can you do this?’ ”

Chris Bunyan and Bill Sneen have also said they plan on running more grass-roots campaigns, but they have received small donations from friends and family.

Neither man has received more than $4,000 in cash contributions.

Sneen’s and Bunyan’s contributions are almost exclusively from individual donors living in Costa Mesa.

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.