Among the nine candidates vying for three spots on the County Board of Supervisors, State Assemblymember Das Williams, now running for the 1st District, has spent far more than anyone else ​— ​$484,984. Making this somewhat remarkable, Williams only raised $288,000 the past year. He’s made up the difference with infusions of campaign cash from two preexisting committees he’d established in Sacramento, one for the Assembly and another for the Senate. Of his new money, about $80,000 came from various trade unions and their political action committee. Of that, $30,000 came from the union representing county firefighters and $20,000 from two Service Employees International Union locals. Another $10,000 came from the campaigns of politicians Williams served with in Sacramento.

Also running for the 1st ​— ​which extends from Carpinteria to the Eastside of Santa Barbara ​— ​is Jennifer Christensen, who is backed by many conservative and business-minded donors. Morris Jurkowitz, a longtime player in commercial real estate and benefactor of City College, donated $10,000 and loaned Christensen another $30,000. As of May 21, Williams reported having $208,000 left to spend and Christensen $71,000. The 1st is an open seat as three-term Supervisor Salud Carbajal is now running for Congress.

Leading the spending race for the politically pivotal 3rd District ​— ​an area that spans from Santa Ynez to western Goleta ​— ​is Bruce Porter, who to date has spent $231,000 donated largely by development, business, and ag interests. In addition, Porter received $25,000 from the Deputy Sheriffs’ Association. None of that counts toward the $60,000 raised by an oil-industry-sponsored independent expenditure committee formed in Sacramento to get Porter elected. His chief rival, Joan Hartmann, has spent $185,353 and raised $155,619. Two locals of SEIU donated $30,000.

Candidates Bob Field and Karen Jones jumped in to stop Porter, who they contend will sell the soul of the Santa Ynez Valley. Field raised $30,000, and Jones not enough to report anything. Jay Freeman has raised $40,000 ​— ​almost all his own money ​— ​and spent $27,000. Like the 1st, the 3rd District is also wide open, left vacant when two-term incumbent Doreen Farr announced she was stepping down.

Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam, the only incumbent in the race, raised $53,000 and spent $89,000. Adam, outspokenly conservative and a tight-fisted minimalist when it comes to government spending, was backed by North County ag and business interests. Running against him is Eduardo Ozeta, whose campaign filings are not yet complete. But based on the forms Ozeta has submitted, he’s raised $90,000 in donations since May 5. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians donated $30,000. The Deputy Sheriffs’ Association donated $20,000, and the county firefighters another $20,000.

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