Hans Buder takes significant fundraising lead in Carmel mayoral race.

It’s been a relatively quiet fundraising season in the City of Carmel, with two of the five candidates running in the Nov. 3 elections raising little to no money.

In the latest campaign finance reporting period, City Councilmember Hans Buder, who is running for mayor, has a significant financial lead over opponent David Boland, a banking executive recruited at the last minute by outgoing Mayor Dale Byrne.

In the reporting period from Sept. 20 through Oct. 17, Buder reported raising $4,505, bringing his total fundraising for the year to $21,945. He spent $4,024 during the reporting period, bringing his year-to-date expenditures to $11,018. Of that total, $3,744 went toward newspaper advertisements in the Carmel Pine Cone. Buder reported no loans.

Boland, who filed to run for mayor shortly before the August deadline, reported raising $2,000 or less for the year. He had not initially planned to run, but Byrne reportedly convinced him to challenge Buder.

Buder raised his funds from a mix of retired locals, $1,000 from local attorney Jeannette Witten, $200 from Kurt Grasing of Grasing’s restaurant, and $1,000 from Nori Gerardo Lietz, a professor at Harvard Business School. Mike Freed of Post Ranch Inn donated $1,000 on Oct. 20, after the latest campaign finance reporting period.

In the Carmel City Council race, three candidates are competing for two seats.

Bobby Richards, who served two terms from 2016 to 2024 and is seeking a third term after a break from the council, reported raising $8,899 during the July 16–Sept. 19 reporting period. This amount also represents his total fundraising for the calendar year to date. Richards has spent $5,000 so far.

During the same reporting period, Allissandra Dramov raised $1,199, bringing her year-to-date fundraising total to $6,199. Dramov reported no loans, while Richards reported $100 in loans.

In the most recent reporting period, Dramov reported receiving $500 from William Karges, a local art dealer, and a $500 donation from Stan Meresman, currently on the Board of Trustees of the Panetta Institute for Public Policy, and his wife Sharon. Dramov reports spending $722 on a September advertisement with the Carmel Pine Cone and $512 on food for a campaign party at the Cyprus Inn. 

Richards reported receiving contributions of $499 from Carmel Realty Property Management and $1,000 from Inns by the Sea, Inc., along with smaller donations from local residents. La Playa Hotel in Carmel reported a contribution of a venue, food and drinks for a fundraising event, valued at $5,000.

Stefan Karapetkov, a first-time candidate and an architect on the Planning Commission since 2023, has reported raising $2,000 or less.