Politics & Government
The Former Council President's Loan To Herself
A candidate loaning their campaign money isn't unusual on its own. This one stands out.
June 5, 2022
This post originally appeared in the June 4 Politics Report. The newsletter is available to Voice of San Diego members. Become a member today to support our work here.
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Late last month, Councilwoman Jen Campbell did something unusual.
She loaned her campaign $25,000, just a few weeks before the election.
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A candidate loaning their campaign money isn’t unusual on its own. This one stands out because Campbell is not only an incumbent running for re-election, but she was also the Council president – final arbiter of the sacred Council docket – less than a year ago.
The incumbency advantage is often attributed to name recognition and having the title of the job voters are deciding listed right under their name. And no doubt, those are nice edges to have.
But the incumbency advantage also typically gives candidates fundraising superiority. Their years in office are years of opportunity to take up or vote on issues that would-be donors care about. That’s especially true if you basically get to determine the Council docket.
That’s why it raised eyebrows in political circles when an incumbent needed to put herself on the hook for $25,000 in the closing stretch of the race. Her campaign (distinct from the couple independent expenditure committees spending money on her behalf, against former Assemblywoman Lori Saldana), has brought in $157,000 for the race – including the $25,000 she loaned it.
That said: If Campbell wins, she’ll be able to pay the loan back with campaign donations after the election. It’s the only way a campaign donation can go directly into the pocket of the elected official asking for it.
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