FOLLOW THE MONEY
WHERE DO CANDIDATES GET THEIR MONEY?
It can be very expensive to fund a campaign for Mayor or City Council. It is important to know who donates to those campaigns and what sort of influence they may wield over candidates. This year we are seeing significant monetary contributions from the old GOP powerbrokers to Costa Mesa candidates.
Most candidates receive funds from friends, neighbors, and business associates. Some candidates have received donations from political action committees (PACs) and union or employee association PACs. There are also independent expenditures (IEs) made by PACs, union and employee association PACs. Last election year, a Super PAC made an IE on behalf of a candidate, a first for Costa Mesa elections to our knowledge.
Technically, a Super PAC is called an independent expenditure-only committee. Super PACs may raise unlimited sums of money from corporations, unions, associations, and individuals, then spend unlimited sums to overtly advocate for or against political candidates.
IEs are expressions of the support or opposition of candidates. IEs are not to be coordinated with a candidate’s committee or their agents. IEs are separate contributions and are not subject to contribution limits.
It seems like each election we see mailers sent to voters on behalf of candidates (but in opposition to their opponents) by Super PACs. This type of mailer is what many call a “hit piece,” or a very negative opposition mailer. While this is legal, it often doesn't change the mind of an informed voter because the claims are usually vague and not true. That is why we urge you to be an informed voter!
Since the candidates are required to file forms with the City disclosing donations over $2,000, we can gather information from those forms to shed some sunlight on the campaigns. All forms can be found on the City's website. The following is a comparison of candidate donations:
MAYOR
Michael Buley
As of June 30, 2026, Mike Buley had received $53,225.00 in campaign donations. Most of his contributions came from individuals and companies involved in the real estate, construction, and development industries, including five businesses in which former Mayor and Councilmember Steve Mensinger has an interest. Contributions from those businesses totaled approximately $27,500.00, representing more than half of Buley's total fundraising.
Buley also received donations from Buck Johns, Curt Pringle, and Rick Kapko. Johns has been a significant powerbroker and contributor to the Orange County Republican Party for many years. Pringle, a former Speaker of the California State Assembly, is also known locally for his involvement in a controversial election-day effort in which security personnel were stationed near polling locations to address concerns about unlawful voting. The Orange County Republican Party and Pringle were later sued, and the case was settled for $400,000.00.
Kapko, along with former City Councilmember Jim Righeimer, supported efforts to pursue the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds for private development.
Buley also received a sizable contribution from one of the principals of South Coast Toyota. The donation comes as representatives of the dealership have made several recent appearances before the Planning Commission and City Council regarding plans to redevelop property the company owns. Central to those discussions is the company's interest in securing approval for higher-density development on a parcel being considered for housing.
Only about 9% of Buley's donors are Costa Mesa residents.
Buley files his required disclosure statements regularly and has been transparent in reporting his campaign finances.
Loren Gameros
As of June 30, Loren Gameros had received $14,900.00 in campaign donations, including a transfer of $1,100.00 from his prior City Council campaign fund. Not surprisingly, most of his support comes from construction unions (he is employed by one). The next largest contributors are individuals who live outside Costa Mesa, including several donors who may have connections to Manuchehr Khosbin, a real estate developer and former owner of the Trinity Broadcasting Network property. That site is currently being redeveloped with housing.
The Trinity property was added to the Measure K map by Gameros at Khosbin's request. Khosbin subsequently sold the property in 2025 for approximately twice the amount he had paid for it. That is why entitlements are so important to developers! Gameros voted in favor of the project that is currently under construction at that site. His second-largest source of contributions has been labor unions.
Among his more significant individual donors is Ali Jahangiri, an attorney whose practice includes assisting foreign investors seeking EB-5 visas. He also accepted a sizable donation from MGR Property Management, a residential and commercial property management company headquartered in Ontario. As of September 4, Gameros had not received any campaign contributions from Costa Mesa residents.
Gameros files his required campaign disclosure statements regularly and has been transparent in reporting his campaign finances.
CITY COUNCIL
District 3
Daniel Thomas Morgan
As of June 30, 2026, Mr. Morgan had received $68,654.00 in campaign contributions. The largest share of his fundraising came from individuals and businesses involved in real estate, development, and construction. Donors in this category include former City Councilmembers Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger, as well as their business associates Rick Kapko and apartment owner Fritz Hoelscher.
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Morgan also received contributions from Shawn Steel, a former chairman of the California Republican Party, and Curt Pringle. (Additional information regarding Pringle and Kapko is discussed above.) Another donor is John Saunders, a developer known for his involvement in mobile home park ownership and redevelopment projects (and for evicting his tenants).
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Additional contributions came from businesses and individuals residing outside Costa Mesa. He has also received contributions from the Lincoln Club and the Orange County Apartment Owners PAC. Only about 10% of Morgan's donations originated from Costa Mesa residents.
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Morgan files his required campaign disclosure statements regularly and has been transparent in reporting his campaign finances.
Cara Stewart
As of June 30, 2026, Cara Stewart had raised $27,108.87 in campaign contributions. The majority of her donors are Costa Mesa residents, with additional support from individuals in the real estate development industry, including a substantial contribution from Manuchehr Khosbin, discussed above.
The remainder of her donor base is largely made up of individuals and businesses associated with industries related to her professional work. Stewart has consistently filed the required campaign finance disclosure statements and has maintained transparency regarding her fundraising activities.
District 4
Angely Andrade Vallarta
As of June 30, Ms. Andrade Vallarta had raised $10,664.00 in campaign contributions.
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Most of her donations come from political action committees and unions. The remaining funds appear to come from business associates and friends who reside outside the Costa Mesa area, followed by contributions from Costa Mesa residents.
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Ms. Andrade Vallarta has consistently filed the required campaign finance disclosure statements and has demonstrated transparency in reporting her fundraising activities and campaign finances.
Fisher Derderian
As of June 30, Mr. Derderian had raised $11,316.00 in campaign contributions.
The majority (56%) of his donations appear to come from relatives, friends, and other supporters who reside outside of Costa Mesa. Some donors also appear to be affiliated with a Huntington Beach church where his wife is or was employed. In addition, he received contributions from individuals involved in the real estate development community, as well as a contribution from the Orange County Apartment Owners Association PAC.
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Mr. Derderian has filed the required campaign finance disclosure statements, but information, such as the name of the source of his income, has been redacted. For that reason, we cannot say he is transparent.
District 5
Kelly Brown
As of June 30, 2026, Kelly Brown had raised $19,144.00 in campaign contributions. The majority of her support comes from friends and colleagues in the education field, where she works. Her next largest source of contributions comes from individuals and businesses located outside the local area. Approximately 26% of her donors are Costa Mesa residents.
Brown has consistently filed the required campaign finance disclosure statements and has maintained transparency in reporting her fundraising activities and campaign finances.
Steve Smith
As of June 30, Steve Smith had raised $31,484.00 in campaign contributions. This total includes a personal contribution of $16,743.75, which was reported as a contribution rather than a loan. Excluding Smith's own contribution, his largest donors include former City Councilmembers Jim Righeimer and Steve Mensinger, Mat Garcia of the Harbor Soaring Society and James Peters, a former mayoral candidate. Smith has also received a contribution from the Orange County Apartment Owners Association PAC.
Smith has consistently filed the required campaign finance disclosure statements and has maintained transparency in reporting his fundraising activities and campaign finances.
