Big money in Salinas Council races may mean new leadership.

Three weeks before the Nov. 8 election, lawns in Salinas are flecked with campaign signs, an indicator that money is flowing into four open seats on Salinas City Council.

Campaign cash in four contested council races has topped $150,000, with the vast majority of donations going to three new players: Virginia Mendoza, Scott Davis and John “Tony” Villegas, all challenging incumbents.

Their supporters and campaign contributions line up to show the makings of a new guard aiming to unseat the old guard on a seven-person City Council.

The Salinas Valley Leadership Group, a right-leaning PAC backed by donors including Monterey Downs developer Brian Boudreau and contractor Don Chapin, has funneled at least $47,000 into the candidacies of three challengers – Mendoza, Villegas, Davis – and Mayor Joe Gunter’s campaign for re-election.

Mendoza, a health promoter who is trying to oust long-time councilwoman Gloria De La Rosa to represent District 4 in the center of the city, has endorsements from both sides of the political aisle. Supporters include the SVLG as well as the Monterey County Democratic Party.

Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, also donated $500 to Mendoza’s campaign, according to campaign finance records.

“Luis Alejo is from Watsonville, but he is beginning to exert his influence in Salinas politics,” Salinas City Councilman Steve McShane says. “We are seeing that this election cycle.”

Alejo beat out four-term County Supervisor Fernando Armenta in an election in June, and will take over next year as the supervisor representing Salinas. Meanwhile, Alejo’s rival, Armenta, is supporting the incumbent, De La Rosa. (Alejo did not respond to requests for comment.)

Villegas, a sixth-grade teacher and football coach, is taking on Councilwoman Jyl Lutes, who has represented District 6 in North Salinas since 1998. Councilmembers Kimbley Craig and McShane have both donated $1,000 to Villegas’ campaign.

“I will work with whomever is on council,” says Craig, who is not up for re-election this year. “But for me, the growth of the city is dependent on putting new blood in here every once in awhile.”

McShane shares that view when it comes to Villegas challenging Lutes. But he supports De La Rosa, who has held her seat for 16 years, based on their common interests in promoting arts and culture as a way to support youth. While McShane has endorsed De La Rosa, he is also listed as a $50 donor to Mendoza, her opponent. (He says he does not recall donating that money.)

In the four-way race for District 1 in East Salinas, Davis, a sheriff’s deputy, has received most of his financial support from people who work in law enforcement and are affiliated with the SLVG. Brian Contreras, the founding executive director of the nonprofit Second Chance Family and Youth Services, has raised $4,500 in mostly small amounts, and a $1,000 gift from John D’Arrigo, owner of the agribusiness company D’Arrigo Bros. Incumbent Jose Castañeda and Juan Sandoval, who’s led the charge in years past to recall Castañeda, have not reported any campaign donations to date.

Gunter’s challenger for the mayor’s seat, businessman Amit Pandya, has raised roughly $6,000 in mostly small donations, and received the endorsement of the Monterey County Democrats.

To Craig, things in Salinas have not been going particularly well lately, and she says there’s a lot at stake.

She’s right: There’s an oncoming medical marijuana industry, a new police chief and record homicide rates, and housing developments and neighborhood revitalization projects coming in the near future.