In race for P.G mayor, the challenger outraises and outspends the incumbent.

In the latest campaign finance reporting period, Luke Coletti, running for mayor in Pacific Grove in the Nov. 3 election, is winning in the race for cash and is outspending the incumbent, Mayor Nick Smith.

Coletti reported raising $13,473 for the time period of Sept. 20 through Oct. 17, bringing the total he's raised in this campaign to just over $20,600.

He's spent $16,858 during the same time period, bringing the total he's spent during the campaign to $20,406, leaving him with a cash balance of $200. He also lists $13,285 in outstanding debts.

Smith reports raising just under $5,400 during the period, bringing his campaign fundraising total to $11,797. He reported spending $6,074, for a total of $11,508 thus far. He reported an ending cash balance of $289.

Neither candidate reported any loans.

Coletti raised his funds from a number of P.G. residents, all retired, including one man who gave $800. In the previous reporting period, the only non-retired person listed was former councilmember Debby Beck, a real estate broker, who donated $500. Some of his donors are residents who have been critical of city officials and policies over the years.

In contrast, Smith tended to attract donations from a wider array of working and retired people. In this period, he received contributions from a number of P.G. residents, including former councilmember Amy Tomlinson, who donated $500.

In the previous reporting period he received donations from Councilmember Tina Rau ($100), Councilmember Nicholas Mourlam ($200) and former P.G. mayor Bill Peake ($400). He also received $790 from the Monterey Bay Action Committee and $800 from the Monterey Firefighters Association and an $800 donation from Hare Construction.

Coletti has sent multiple mailers to voters over the past couple of months, as well as sending out campaign text messages and publishing newspaper ads. For the September to October period, he spent over $9,400 on mailers and over $620 on text ads from a company based in Virginia. Newspaper ads in the Carmel Pine Cone and Monterey County Weekly totaled more than $2,900.

Smith spent about $1,300 on newspaper ads in both papers, and just over $1,000 on signs.

In the race for P.G. City Council in District 1, challenger Kevin Hanley is also outpacing the incumbent, Councilmember Cynthia Garfield, in both fundraising and spending. 

Hanley reported raising $8,424 for the September to October period, for a total of $11,432. He spent $5,588, pushing his total expenditures to $9,817. He had an ending cash balance of $553.

Meanwhile Garfield raised just under $2,500 in the recent reporting window, for a total of a little over $5,000. She spent just $1,384 during the period and $2,466 total, leaving over $4,000 in cash. She saw support from former mayor Bill Kampe, who donated $400, and from the Democratic Women of Monterey County, which donated $600.

Hanley, who previously served on the Auburn City Council, including as mayor,  has collected multiple donations from a variety of residents and supporters in the Bay Area and out of state. Like Coletti, he used the same Virginia company for text messaging but only for $68 to reach voters in District 1.

In District 3, Susan Goldbeck, a former councilmember and planning commissioner, appeared to be leading in fundraising against two other candidates during the previous reporting period of July 28 to Sept. 19, but based on an earlier report filed on Sept. 1, she donated $3,200 to herself. No report for the September to October reporting period has been posted as of Oct. 26.

One of Goldbeck's two competitors, Tara Leweling, has raised a total of $3,739 and spent most of it, $3,567. The other competitor, Andrew Kubica, currently serving as chair of the P.G. Planning Commission, reported raising a total of $2,284 and spending $2,366, showing $2,933 in outstanding debts. He's loaned his campaign $800 this year.

Councilmember Lori McDonnell, who is running for a two-year at-large seat reported raising $3,838 total and spending $2,226. She received $600 from the Democratic Women of Monterey County and $800 from the Monterey County New Progressives. 

Also on the ballot for the at-large seat is James Ogle, who has not filed any campaign finance reports and does not appear to be campaigning.