$22M raised so far, majority in big gifts
It’s election season in San Francisco, and the money is pouring in: About $22 million has been raised for the November races so far, according to local filings, with much of that going into ballot measures and the race for the mayor’s office.About 69 percent of the spending, or $15 million, comes from large donations — amounts over $1,000. Those donations — mostly made to political action committees to get around the city’s $500 donation cap for candidates — represent less than 2 percent of the number of total contributions. The remaining 98 percent of contributions constitute much smaller donations — on average $292 apiece — and add up to just $6.9 million so far. Those small-dollar donations are also bolstered by another $5.2 million in matching city public financing, which awards candidates six-to-one matching funds. That brings the total money […]