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Dwyer leads in recent fundraising totals

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Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Devin Dwyer led other City Council candidates in fundraising over the last three months, according to finance statements released this week by the city clerk’s office.

From July 1 through Sept. 30, Dwyer, the race’s sole incumbent, accumulated $18,543 in outside monetary contributions. Former Mayor Jill Hardy and Planning Commissioner Barbara Delgleize trailed him with $15,164 and $14,242, respectively.

Among Dwyer’s high-profile supporters are Delgleize, State Assembly candidate Travis Allen, Board of Equalization Vice Chair Michelle Steel and Sunset Beach Community Assn. President Mike Van Voorhis.

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Allen, a Huntington Beach resident, said Dwyer is the only candidate he supports at the city level this year.

“I think Devin is a great guy,” he said. “He’s got a great record of supporting business in Huntington Beach, and I think he’s going to win.”

Billy O’Connell, executive director of the nonprofit Colette’s Children’s Home, technically declared the highest fundraising total for the last quarter with $54,319, but $51,000 of that came through loans from himself and from Kingdom Capital International, a company O’Connell owns that he says does real estate and investment business.

Self-funding his campaign was a conscious decision for O’Connell, who values independence as a candidate.

“I’m trying to finance my own campaign so no one can come back and say I’m in the pocket of any special-interest group,” he said. “I’m representing the people of Huntington Beach. I’m not going to have outside folks coming in and telling us how to run our city.”

Planning Commissioner Tim Ryan, despite declaring just $6,102 for the third quarter, still has the highest outside fundraising total for the calendar year with $32,022.

Among other candidates, Planning Commissioner Erik Peterson raised $6,080 in outside contributions the last quarter, while former Mayor Dave Sullivan garnered $4,459, Los Angeles Police Sgt. Jim Katapodis $10.449 and photographer Bob Wentzel $150. Realtor Bruce Brandt and businessman Tony James Carter did not report any funds raised since July, while lawyer Alex Polsky’s $9,981 came entirely from self-loans.

michael.miller@latimes.com

Twitter: @MichaelMillerHB

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