Campaign finance reports filed Friday show just how dramatically momentum in the mayor’s race has changed.

Keep in mind that Barbara’s campaign couldn’t begin raising funds for the general election until early April because we didn’t know if Barbara had qualified for the runoff until the end of March.  Then consider our opponent’s advantage as the front-runner, already aggressively soliciting funds for the runoff during the primary, confident he would qualify for the November general election.

So imagine the shock among political observers when Barbara’s campaign on Friday reported raising over $532,000 from contributors from mid-February through the end of June compared with her opponent’s $289,000.

Some have speculated that Gloria’s fundraising struggles reflect his lack of local community support. He had been counting on transferring over $300,000 in corporate and special interest PAC contributions from his Sacramento Assembly account to the local Democratic Party to help make up the difference. But controversy over his establishment of an Assembly re-election committee after he had already filed to run for mayor, resulting in a fine and legal fees, has complicated his use of that loophole. That leaves his campaign largely dependent on independent expenditures by his labor union PACs and other interest groups.

Combined with recent poll results released by the Lincoln Club showing the race is a toss-up, Barbara’s prospects have skyrocketed.

And as a local news outlet observed, her campaign is once again defining the issues in the race for mayor.

We’re in for a wild ride over the next three months, but we’re fortunate enough to be sharing that ride with the best candidate and the most enthusiastic team of supporters!

Tom Shepard
Consultant, Barbara Bry for Mayor‍