Noemi Hernandez Alexander outraises Area 1 Trustee opponents
Campaign finance filings show Riverside Unified School District Trustee Area 1 incumbent Noemi Hernandez Alexander has generated and expended tens of thousands of dollars more than her two rivals during the current election cycle, based on reporting by the Riverside Record.
Funding Disparities Define the Trustee Race
Since January began, the campaign for Hernandez Alexander has brought in just under $58,500 across monetary and non-monetary donations. Both opponents in the race, Duffy Atkinson and Jinane Annous, have raised less than $10,000.
Earlier in the year, Annous submitted documentation indicating she anticipated both taking in and spending under $2,000 throughout the year. With her campaign staying beneath that financial limit, she is exempt from submitting comprehensive campaign finance reports. Annous stated in an email to the Riverside Record that her campaign remained under the limit because she made a conscious decision not to solicit money.
To me, running for school board is not about how much money you can raise or how much you can spend,
Annous said. I understand that financial resources can provide an advantage in an election, but I believe the trust and confidence of the community must be earned, not purchased.
Documentation provided at the close of June revealed that Atkinson contributed $550 of his personal funds to the campaign effort. Subsequently, records indicate he has collected two $1,000 donations supplied by a local business owner and a political action committee. Atkinson said in a phone call with the Riverside Record that his mid-October campaign finance filing showed about $6,000 in contributions, though that filing was not available in the Riverside County campaign finance portal.
Hernandez Alexander Receives Funding from Teachers and Labor Unions
The filings for Hernandez Alexander demonstrated that she collected $30,000 from the Riverside City Teachers Association (RCTA) during June alongside $9,000 originating from four labor union political action committees. Hernandez Alexander said she applied for an endorsement, was interviewed by the group, and requested the maximum amount she could receive.
This opportunity was not unique to me, my opponents had an opportunity to interview,
she said, adding that she is sincerely grateful to the teachers union. As for the labor union dollars, she stated they came from a large coalition of working-class residents within the Riverside community.
Atkinson characterized contributions from labor unions as problematic. I think that the campaign contributors on any campaign will tell you where the intentions and political focus of the candidate lies,
Atkinson said.
During 2022—the previous instance when the position was contested—campaign disclosures show that Hernandez Alexander pulled in approximately $48,000 in donations, while Atkinson secured roughly $14,500.
Hernandez Alexander defended her fundraising efforts in an email to the Riverside Record. I needed to fundraise early, consistently and actively before and throughout the campaign season,
she said. That is the work that is required to make the necessary money to pay for mailers, ads, literature and signs.
Whether the spending advantage translates to voter outcomes remains open as the election approaches.
Disclaimer: The views and cultural analyses presented in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Information regarding legal disputes or financial data is based on available public records.