Top Council Fundraiser Jim Prola Draws Heat For Police Gift

In his bid to win re-election to the San Leandro City Council, incumbent Jim Prola has raised $44,440 in contributions and loans, including a $12,000 loan to himself, he reported in a campaign disclosure statement filed Thursday.

That was the deadline for the nine candidates for three city council seats to make their last pre-election disclosure of who is backing their campaigns.

Only contributions of $1,000 of more are required to be reported between now and the November 6 election.

Prola is being challenged in District 2 by School Board member from the Police Officer's Association is a 'conflict of interest' because the city and union are negotiating a new contract.

Almonte has raised $6,790 in contributions and loans thus far in the race. He is the only candidate challenging Prola in the 6th District. 

Prola said the was nothing to Almonte's criticism; that the police contribution was less than 6 percent of his campaign fund and that the charge was political grandstanding.

Here are some comparisons in the other two races.

District 2

Incumbent Ursula Reed, who has collected $15,400 in the entire race, is being out-fundraised by challenger Morgan Mack-Rose. Reed also got a $2,500 contribution from the POA. She said there was no conflict because a professional negotiator, not council members, are bargaining on behalf of the city.

Mack-Rose, who is currently school board president, raised $10,254 in loans and donations in the most recent reporting perioid and has amassed $36,405 during the entire campaign. Her big donors included $2,500 from the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee.

Bal Theater Owner Dan Dillman, the third candidate in the race, did not raise any money in the curent reporting period and has raised $3,108 in the whole campaign.

District 4

There is no incumbent in this district.

Candidate Benny Lee also got $2,500 from the POA, the largest chunk of the $3,625 he raised in recent weeks. Another notable contributor is Mayor Tony Santos who has given $300 during the entire campaign. Lee has raised $18,066 in donations and loans thus far in his race.

Darlene Daevu raised $1,650 in this period. Her two big contributions were $1,000 from Karen Broadus, a counselor with the San Francisco Probation Department, and $500 from Alameda County Firefighters Association. She has raised $13,448 in donations and loans in her entire campaign.

Chris Crow reported added $4,073 to his campaign fund during this period. That included a $1,500 loan from Marga Lacabe; a $1,000 donation from the San Leandro Chamber PAC; $500 from Innisfree Ventures, developer of the Village Marketplace; and $100 from the campaign committee of Ro Khanna.

The fourth candidate in this race, Justin Hutchison, has attested that he will not raise or spend more than $1,000 in the campaign, freeing himself from reporting requirements.

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