Massive spending in El Cerrito City Council race continues
The second incumbent, Caroyn Wysinger, is also drawing the bulk of her funds from large donations. Among the challengers, Forrest Lanning says he isn’t planning on spending or raising more than $2,000, and the other three candidates - Wally Nowinski, Mary Ann “MJ” Jawili, and Kimberly White - have drawn the bulk of their donations from El Cerrito residents.
The newest independent expenditures in support of Quinto are additional expenditures dated Oct. 23 by the Committee for Jobs and the Economy, Sponsored by Energy Companies, bringing its total to $54,960, and $3,087.76 by the Contra Costa Firefighters for Public Safety sponsored by International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230 dated Oct. 23.
The Contra Costa Firefighters group also reports spending $3,087.76 in support of Wysinger. This is separate from the $23,511 collected by her campaign committee.
Wysinger’s largest contributions are
- $5,000 Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Candidate PAC
- $3,000 International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230 Political
- $2,000 El Cerrito Police Employees Association
- $2,000 Malia Cohen for Controller 2026
- $2,000 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 302 Community Candidates PAC
- $1,000 California Real Estate Political Action Committee
- $1,000 North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters Power
- $1,000 Plumbing Industry Consumer Protection Fund
The total reported by Quinto’s committee is $49,948.56, with the latest reported contribution $5,900 from Airbnb Inc.
The largest contributions reported earlier by Quinto’s campaign committee are
- $5,900 Plumbers & Steamfitters U.A. Local 342 PAC Fund
- $5,900 from the LCCC PAC, a Bi-Partisan Coalition of Municipal, County, Latino Appointed and Elected Leaders Restricted Use Account
- $5,000 from Service Employees International Union Local 1021 Candidate PAC - Small Contribution Committee
- $3,000 International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1230 All Purpose Account PAC
- $3,000 BAJAPAC
- $2,600 from Dynamic Networking LLC
- $2,500 East Bay Jobs PAC ℅ Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP
- $2,000 El Cerrito Police Employees’ Association PAC
- $2,000 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 302 Community Candidates Candidates PAC, Martinez
White’s committee reports a total of $23,573 in contributions. The largest contributor is an El Cerrito resident who has donated a total of $2,025 to White’s campaign. The only donation not from an individual is $500 from the California Real Estate Political Action Committee - California Association of Realtors, Los Angeles.
Nowinski’s committee reports $20,140.50 in contributions. His largest contributor is also an El Cerrito resident who has given $2,025. His only donation not from an individual is also $500 from the California Real Estate Political Action Committee - California Association of Realtors, Los Angeles.
Jawili reported $9,851 in contributions, all from individuals.
The six candidates are competing for two 4-year terms in the last council race to be held before the city transitions to district elections.
For a complete list of the donations reported and the donors’ names, see the Campaign Disclosure page of the city website. The candidate committee forms also list expenditures made so far. Note that the independent spending (not done by the candidates’ committees) is under “Major Donor/Independent Expenditure Filings”
https://www.elcerrito.gov/215/Campaign-Disclosure
For more election news, see https://elcerritowire.blogspot.com/p/nov-3-2026-el-cerrito-city-council-and.html