Wenham, Audette and Prosperi lead significantly in campaign donations for Redding council

As the Nov. 3 election nears, campaign finance records show that three candidates running for Redding City Council have raised significantly more funds for their campaigns than their competitors. Top campaign earners include civil engineer and Redding Planning Commissioner Russ Wenham, current council member Tenessa Audette and business owner Christina Prosperi. 

The three candidates together have raised about $124,000, making up nearly 90% of the total amount garnered by all candidates for the race. 

The majority of the candidates’ contributions are cash donations, while some are non-monetary donations for things like catering and photography. 

Nine candidates are running for the council this election, and three seats are up for grabs. Candidates Rebecca Anne Miller and Joana Rebollar have no documented financial contributions to their campaigns.

Russ Wenham

In total, Wenham — who is also a Redding planning commissioner — has raised nearly $57,000 in contributions to his campaign so far, with 109 donors contributing $100 or more. 

Wenham’s largest donor to date is J.F. Shea Construction, Inc., a construction company with an office based in Redding, which donated $4,000. His second-highest donor is Cynthia Stephens, engineering contract company SnL Group owner, who donated $3,000. Kenneth Wenham, CEO of Roebbelen Contracting, Inc. donated $2,604 and was the third-highest donor. 

Wenham’s next highest donors include: 

• Jagdeep Randhawa: $2,000
  • Randhawa is the owner of Food Express 5 in Redding.
• Kingdom Housing LLC: $2,000
  • Kingdom Housing LLC is a housing construction company based in Orangevale. 
• Northeastern Building Trades Council: $2,000
  • The Trades Council is a Redding-based advocacy organization for the construction and development industries and also a major donor to Prosperi and Saulsbury’s campaigns.
• Russell Wenham: $2,000
  • Wenham made a self-donation to his campaign.
• Maureen Gaynor: $1,572
  • Gaynor is the president of Gaynor Telesystems, a technology company based in Redding.
• Leslie Williem: $1,524
  • Williem is a Redding planning commissioner who’s listed on campaign finance documents as the owner of Robert S. Bryant General Contractor, Inc.
• Ishar Gill: $1,100
  • Gill identified himself as an employee of Kismat Fuels Inc.

Wenham also made a $3,000 loan to his own campaign. 

About 16% of Wenham’s donations have come from outside of Shasta County, including 2% made from outside of California. 

He’s spent about $49,000 while campaigning, documents show, with the majority of his payments — nearly $39,500 — made to Ellislaine, a Redding-based marketing agency. He’s also spent about $3,500 at Hertz Car Rental and around $2,770 at Young Business Services, LLC, a campaign finance reporting company.

Tenessa Audette

Audette has raised nearly $36,500 so far in her campaign for reelection, with 36 donors contributing at least $100. 

Her top donor is Burks Construction Management, which gave $5,000. Shasta Supervisor Kevin Crye’s campaign for reelection donated $4,825, and Patrick McNally, CEO of Retirement Lifestyles Advisors, donated $3,329. 

Her next highest donors include: 

• Lyle Tullis: $2,500
  • Tullis is the president and CEO of asphalt production and construction material company Tullis, Inc.
• Jeremiah Walsh: $1,542
  • Walsh is the owner of Sun Oaks. 
• Mark Monroe: $1,537
  • Monroe is the owner of commercial refrigeration and kitchen equipment repair company Monroe Mechanical.
• Brenda Haynes: $1,305
  • Haynes is the district representative of late Congressman Doug LaMalfa and former Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District board president.
• Adam Turner: $1,042
  • Turner is the CEO of business operations at Milsoft Utility Solutions, a Texas-based software company.
• Steve Williams: $1,042
  • Williams is the vice president of InterWest Insurance Services, LLC and also a major donor of Munns’ campaign.

About 10% of Audette’s funds were raised from outside of Shasta County. 

Audette has spent slightly over half of the funds she’s raised so far — about $19,780. Nearly $9,500 has been spent on marketing firm Ellislaine, about $5,300 on Commerce Printing for postage, delivery and messenger services and $1,500 on the Red Lion Hotel for fundraising events. 

Christina Prosperi

Prosperi has raised nearly $30,500 in donations so far, and 57 donors contributed at least $100. 

Her top donor, who donated $5,000, is Lassen Canyon Nursery owner Kenneth Elwood. Her next two highest donors each contributed $3,000: Northeastern California Building & Construction Trades Council — also a major donor to Wenham and Saulsbury’s campaigns — and UA Local No. 228, the Marysville branch of a national plumbers and pipefitters union and also a major donor to candidate Paul Saulsbury’s campaign. 

Her next highest donors include:

• Operating Engineers Local Union 3 District 70: $2,500
  • Operating Engineers Local Union 3 District 70 is the local branch of a regional construction trades union. 
• North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters: $1,500
  • The Council of Carpenters is a regional carpenters union that was also a major donor to candidate Mark Mezzano’s campaign.
• John Langum: $1,000
  • Langum listed himself as the owner of Independent Structures.
• Laborers Local 185: $1,000
  • Laborers Local 185 is a construction and general laborers union based in the North State. 
• Nancy Huey: $1,000
  • Huey described herself as a retired resident of Redding.
• Dana Silberstein: $999
  • Silberstein is a self-described retired Redding resident.

Prosperi also made a $500 loan to her campaign.

About 29% of Prosperi’s donations have come from outside of Shasta, including 1% from outside of California. 

Prosperi has spent around $18,100 of her funds so far. $3,950 has been spent on Creative Shift Marketing LLC, nearly $3,700 on USPS Redding and about $3,400 on Brian Brown’s Printing and Design. 

Elise Ramirez Sloan

Ramirez Sloan has only received one donation of $5,799 from Ray Van Diest, who appears to be a retired resident of Redding and the board president of the Friends of Shasta County Libraries. 

She has no documented expenditures. Campaign filing records show that she signed a form declaring that she doesn’t expect to receive or spend more than $2,000 for her campaign. 

Paul Saulsbury

In total, Saulsbury has raised about $5,300 for his campaign so far, and five donors gave at least $100.

His top donor is UA Local No. 228, the Marysville branch of a national plumbers and pipefitters union and a major donor to Prosperi’s campaign, which donated $3,000. The Northeastern Building Trades Council, a Redding-based advocacy organization for the construction and development industries and also a major donor to Prosperi and Wenham’s campaigns, donated $2,000. 

His other donors include David Shafer, who identified himself as a court interpreter in Redding, retired Redding resident Judy Tarkington and Steven Kohn, who described himself as a restaurant and commercial equipment repair and salesman in Anderson and is also a major donor to Mezzano’s campaign. They each donated $100. 

About 57% of Saulsbury’s funds came from outside of Shasta, originating from the Marysville union branch. 

He’s spent about $3,000 on his campaign, including $810 on Signarama, $750 at the city of Redding for campaign filing fees and $700 at KCNR for media airtime. 

Jack Munns

Munns has raised about $3,800 in donations so far, and 10 donors contributed $100 or more.

His top donor, who donated $1,042, is Steven Williams, the executive vice president of InterWest Insurance Services and also a major donor to Audette’s campaign. Nancy Kerns, co-owner and operator of the restaurant YAKS, donated $1,000, and the Associated General Contractors PAC of CA donated $500.

His next highest donors include:

• Richard Christoph: $500
  • Christoph listed himself as a retired Redding resident.
• Dann Farrelly: $157
  • Farrelly is a lead pastor and dean at Bethel Church.
• Grant Baker: $104
  • Baker is a horseracing official with the state.
• Thomas Miceli: $104
  • Miceli is a real estate broker at The Real Estate Group.
• Michael Moynahan: $100
  • Moynahan is a retired Enterprise High School teacher and a board member of the Shasta Historical Society.
• Patrick McNally: $100
  • McNally is the CEO of Retirement Lifestyles Advisors and was also a major donor of Tenessa Audette.
• Terrance Alvord: $100
  • Alvord is a retired former captain of the Redding Police Department and president and CEO of Carmona’s Appliance.

Munns also made a $900 loan to his campaign.

About 43% of Munns’ donations have come from outside Shasta.

Munns has spent around $3,550 while campaigning, documents show. He spent $1,032 at Results Radio of Redding, $750 on ballot and filing fees paid to the city of Redding and $600 at Young Business Services, LLC, a campaign finance reporting company.

Mark Mezzano

Mezzano has raised over $2,800 in donations so far, and eight donors have contributed at least $100. Fifty-five percent of Mezzano’s donations have come from outside Shasta.

His top donor, regional carpenters union North Coast States Regional Council of Carpenters, donated $1,500 and was also a major donor to Prosperi’s campaign. Laurie Leiser, a board member of the Redding Sundial Kiwanis, donated $500, and Tyler Hoffman, the co-owner of lake equipment rental shop Dive Outdoors, donated $200.

His next highest donors include:

• Michele Goedert: $150
  • Goedert is a Redding-based realtor.
• Dewey Anderson: $100
  • Anderson who listed himself as a retired Shingletown resident.
• Joe Chimenti: $100
  • Chimenti is a former Shasta County supervisor and executive director of the Shasta Builders’ Exchange.
• Marcus Partin: $100
  • Partin is a former Redding City Council candidate and real estate business owner.
• Steven Kohn: $100
  • Kohn described himself as a restaurant and commercial equipment repair and salesman in Anderson and is also a major donor to Saulsbury’s campaign.

Mezzano also made a $5,000 loan to his campaign.

He’s spent about $2,550 while campaigning, documents show. He spent $1,201 on signage at McHale Sign Company, $750 on ballot and filing fees paid to the city of Redding and $587 to Michael Baucum on information technology.

The Redding Rancheria also created a Political Action Committee to support the campaigns of Mezzano, Prosperi, Ramirez Sloan and Saulsbury, though the PAC’s spending has primarily focused on Mezzano. More than $32,000 has been spent to support Mezzano and the three other candidates. 

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