Redding Rancheria PAC spends $32,000 to support four city council candidates
The Tribe said it created a PAC, or political action committee, to support city council members who understand the relationship between the Tribe and the city. Those candidates haven’t received direct donations of funds; instead, the PAC has provided indirect support through media campaigns.
A political action committee created by the Redding Rancheria has spent more than $32,000 to support the campaigns of Redding City Council candidates Mark Mezzano, Christina Prosperi, Paul Saulsbury and Elise Ramirez Sloan, according to campaign filing documents and the Tribe.
Rancheria Government Affairs Manager Lane Rickard said in an email statement this afternoon that the Tribe created the Sovereign Voices PAC to help elect council members who understand the intergovernmental relationship between the Tribal council and Redding council.
“The Sovereign Voices PAC spent approximately $21,000 on radio ads and $11,000 on mailers to endorse candidates who treat the Tribe fairly and understand that the Tribe is a sovereign government,” Rickard wrote.
PACs are organized to raise and spend money for the purpose of electing and defeating candidates for political offices, and they typically represent ideological, labor or business interests. Rickard clarified that the PAC’s contributions were made in the form of independent expenditures, meaning that the money isn’t donated to candidates’ campaigns and is instead spent independently to support the candidates without their collaboration or coordination, such as through radio advertisements and mailed flyers designed and sent out by the Tribe.
Despite the money being used for four different candidates, the official name of the PAC is “Sovereign Voice PAC sponsored by Redding Rancheria, in support of Mezzano for City Council 2026,” documents show. When asked about this, Rancheria spokesperson Miranda Edwards Favorite told Shasta Scout that when the Tribe originally created the PAC, it was focused on support for Mezzano, but leaders have since decided to also support other candidates.
The Rancheria has contributed more than $40,000 to the PAC’s account, but only about $32,000 has been spent so far, Rickard said, adding that the spending has primarily supported Mezzano.
Mezzano indicated over the phone today that he wasn’t completely aware of the Tribe’s contributions, saying he didn’t know how much it had contributed and what exactly the money had been spent on. He added that the Tribe hasn’t consulted him about how the PAC money is spent. Flyers sent to registered voters advertising his campaign included wording indicating that the materials were paid for by the Tribe’s PAC.
Ramirez Sloan said by text that she’s been endorsed by the Rancheria but doesn’t have any say or input on their PAC, though she said she informs the Tribe if she has media appearances. She added that she feels the city and the Tribe can build better relationships.
Saulsbury said in an email statement that he was informed by the Rancheria’s PAC that it spent money on radio advertising for his candidacy. He said he doesn’t recall exactly how much was spent and noted that his campaign didn’t receive the funds directly or control expenditures.
“I appreciate the Rancheria’s support and their confidence in my candidacy,” he said, “but I remain independent and committed to making decisions based on what I believe is best for the residents of Redding.”
Prosperi clarified that the Rancheria hasn’t contributed to her campaign directly, as she did not seek a contribution.
Rickard explained that among the reasons the Rancheria created the PAC was to level the playing field with another local Tribe, the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians. He described the other Tribe’s past donations as “supporting candidates who oppose Redding Rancheria.” Campaign filings show the Paskenta Tribe’s PAC spent tens of thousands of dollars in 2024 in support of council member Tenessa Audette’s run for California State Assembly, along with contributions that benefitted former Supervisor Mary Rickert, council member Erin Resner and former council member Joshua Johnson.
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It is vexing to put so much of the PAC money in to Mr. Mezzano, quite the blowhard he is. He had 4 years to make his mark and now wants another 4 years to beller in the mic. Let some fresh voices have their say. From my understanding the 3 the tribe are supporting are Elise Ramirez Sloan, Christina Prosperi & Paul Saulsbury
Sure, the Tribe is an economic and political powerhouse in the North State, and it can donate money to political candidates; after all, it’s the American way, right? Shasta County got the raw end of the Tribe’s 30-year service agreement, a deal K. Crye (who received a large chunk of cash from the Tribe) crafted, and it’s being fought in court. But I find it interesting that most of the candidates who have received cash are well-known conservatives, many of them supporters of the court-adjudicated rapist, 34-county convicted felon Trump. The morals of politics are often worn on the sleeves of funders, eh?
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2022 Patrick Jones Shasta County supervisor $5,500
2022 Michael Johnson Shasta County sheriff $4,900
2022 Kevin Crye Shasta County supervisor $4,000
2022 Cathy Darling Allen Shasta County registrar of voters $2,400
2022 John Greene Sheriff candidate opposing Michael Johnson $2,400
2022 Dan Gallier Anderson mayor $1,000
2023–24 Win Carpenter Shasta County supervisor candidate $5,500
2024 Mark Mezzano Redding City Council $5,000
2024 Paul Dhanuka Redding City Council $5,000
2024 David Backues Redding City Council $5,000
2024 Dan Sloan Shasta County supervisor candidate $5,500
2026 Chris Kelstrom Shasta County supervisor, District 5 $5,900
2026 Kevin Crye Shasta County supervisor, District 1 $5,900
2024 NO ON CRYE RECALL / STOP NEWSOM: NO ON CRYE RECALL
Oppose the recall of Supervisor Kevin Crye $5,500
Nov. 12, 2024 Heather Hadwick California State Assembly $5,000
Dec. 31, 2025 Heather Hadwick California State Assembly $1,000
Count the winners vs the losers in the list of those receiving funding. Further vetting is necessary.
Great reporting, however, Joshua Johnson was never a council member to my recollection.
If I support the tribe will they pay off my credit card debt?
This stinks like last weeks fish on a hot day. PACs are nothing more than legal grift.
Individuals running for public office represent the interests of people and institutions that finance their campaign, NOT the interests of gullible and ignorant constituencies.
Ms. Holcomb’s article corroborates that BASIC and CRUEL premise; end of story.
Interesting that the candidates all seem hesitant to fully embrace the Rancheria’s support.
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Also interesting that the Tribe puts so much weight on its status as a sovereign government but has no qualms about meddling in the affairs of our local sovereign governments. Obviously, the Tribe has to interact with local city and county governments, but shouldn’t sovereignty cut both ways?
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How would the Tribe respond if the City of Redding spent money trying to influence who assumed Tribal Council roles, using the argument that Redding needs the Tribe to select leaders who understand the intergovernmental relationship between the Tribal Council and Redding City Council? That mirrors the reasoning of Rancheria Government Affairs Manager Lane Rickard in the above article. I think they’d cry foul.
There has been a similarly interesting meddling in Santa Clara politics by the 49ers. $$$ wins all
The 49ers don’t claim to have the rights of a sovereign nation, and their meddling in City of Santa Clara politics is not government-to-government meddling.
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But you’ll get no argument from me if you’re arguing that for-profit businesses shouldn’t be allowed to buy elections.
I have to dispute the explanation by the Redding Rancheria about the name of the PAC and its true purpose. I have sources that told me weeks ago that the tribe was planning on supporting three candidates – Mezzano was not one of them – by creating a Super PAC. As with any Super PAC, candidates were not going to have access to the funds, nor have input on how the funds were going to be spent, nor a say on the messaging used to support their candidadcy.
The fact that they, the tribe, is now saying that the PAC was created to focus on Mezzano, and that later the leaders decide to support other candidates as well, contradicts what I had learned weeks ago.
My take away from the 497 form posted on 9/24 is that the tribe perhaps changed their mind, and decided to go all in for Mark Mezzano, which is totally fine and legal, if they
I have some issues with the explanation given by the Redding Rancheria about the creation of their PAC and its true purpose. I have sources telling me weeks ago that the Rancheria was planning on supporting – though a PAC most likely – three candidates, Mark Mezzano was not one of them.
But now, the fact that not just the name but also the purpose of the PAC they, the tribe, officially created was to support Mark Mezzano only, and that later their leaders decided to support other candidates as well, contradicts what l had learned weeks ago.
There is nothing wrong, inappropriate or illegal with creating a PAC to support only one candidate or only on cause. Unfortunately, it happens all over our country. What I perceived as dishonest is that the tribe now appears to be changing the narrative. I think they got caught, and now they are claiming that the PAC is to support four candidates, not only Mark.
Has anyone seen, heard, or received any political literature supporting any other candidates, other than Mark Mezzano, paid for by the “Sovereign Voice PAC sponsored by Redding Rancheria, in support of…”?
When the tribe leaders, as the Rancheria claims, decided to use their PAC to support other candidates as well. Why didn’t they update the name of their PAC, as to avoid any controversies? Perhaps, they did. But the city has not updated it on their website. Or perhaps, the tribe never did because they thought nobody would notice and learn about the true purpose of the PAC.
$40K is a lot money. But it is how much I have been told it cost minimum to run a campaign. So, $40K to support four candidates? Hmmm…I am not sure.