CHICO — With the election right around the corner, candidates have filed exhaustive lists of donors over the election cycle.
Candidates are required to fill out 460s, forms that lay out donations, as long as they receive $200 or more a month throughout the election process.
There are currently two seats open on the Chico Unified School District Board of Trustees — Areas 2 and 3.
In Trustee Area 2, software engineer James Bishop is up against retired teacher Gayle Olsen. Over in Trustee Area 3, teacher Teisha Hase is up against human resources manager Michele Cooper.
The latest 460s were turned in on Sept 21 and reflect the span of the election going back to Jan. 1.
The following lays out donors who contributed $100 or more.
James Bishop
Over the course of the election cycle, Bishop has received a total of $2,890 in cash contributions with no reported loans.
His total expenditures have come out to $2,011.26.
Bishop’s highest reported contribution by far was from Karen Bishop of Butte Valley who donated $1,000 to his campaign followed by Nancy Calkins who donated $500. Additionally, Chico City Council candidate and former Chico Police Chief Mike O’Brien donated $150 to Bishop’s campaign.
$1,000 or more: Karen Bishop
$500-999: Nancy Calkins
$400-499: N/A
$300-399: N/A
$200-299: Dale Penne, Tom Vervoorn
$100-199: Kelli Bishop, Janice Lindquist, Kirsten Southam, Nolan Perreira, Mike O’Brien, Loretta Torres, James Wood
Gayle Olsen
Unlike the other candidates, Olsen has not had to file a 460 with fewer donors.
However, Olsen has received nearly $2,000 from the Chico Unified Teachers Association Political Action Committee, which has come out in support of both Olsen and Hase.
In September, Olsen received $1,846.15 from the PAC, the majority of the sum, as well as additional payments of $77.22 and $44.80 later that month.
Michele Cooper
To date, Cooper has received a substantial $7,900 in campaign contributions, with no loans taken out. As of Sept. 21, her campaign had spent $5,676.77, with unpaid bills reported at $357.64.
This included a large sum of $2,500 from Jessee Heating & Air Conditioning in August. The next highest came out to $500 from Michael Wright followed by $400 from Loretta Ann Torres. James Gallagher’s campaign provided an additional $500 for Cooper.
O’Brien also contributed $100 to Cooper’s campaign along with Bill Brouhard, the developer who headed the Valley’s Edge project in south Chico.
$1,000 or more: Jessee Heating & Air Conditioning
$500-999: Michael Wright, Gallagher for Assembly 2024,
$400-499: Loretta Ann Torres
$300-399: N/A
$200-299: Laurel Zanker, Sheryl Campbell, Mark A. Truhe, Rebecca Konkin, Chico Police Officers Association PAC, Bill Brouhard, Casino Chico, Rob Berry, James Wood
$100-199: Laura Eckstrom, Deborah Guillon, Michael O’Brien, Marlene Merlo, Yvonne Johnson, Patsy L. Stile, Kirsten Southam, Sarah L. Felder, Frank Solinsky, Danielle Penne, Andrew Willhoit
Teisha Hase
Hase’s campaign has brought in a total of $9,730.90, though the vast majority have been nonmonetary/non-individual donors at $8,150.40. The campaign has also received $1,216 in loans.
Total expenditures made by the Hase Campaign come out to $9,567.84.
Like Olsen, Hase received a larger balance from the Chico Unified Teachers Association PAC, totaling to $4,478.96.
Her largest individual monetary donor was Andrew Holcombe, who contributed $200.
