Campaign financing reports and police union donations are routine parts of an election cycle.
But not this year. And not in Santa Ana.
The most recent campaign financing reports show that the police union has spent more than $100,000 to reelect the mayor and a candidate for City Council. Why is that such a big deal? Because all those zeroes are certain to fuel long-standing speculation in some corners over the influence the police union wields at city hall, as a recent claim alleged.
Last year, the city voted to quietly settle a legal claim with former City Manager Kristine Ridge for over $600,000. In her claim, Ridge alleged that elected officials in Santa Ana pressured her to increase former police union president Gerry Serrano’s pay and pension.
Mayor Valerie Amezcua’s campaign received around $27,000 from the police union to use toward mailers, while City Council candidate Mario Alvarado’s campaign received around $87,000, which was used for digital ads, mailers and door hangers.
When she last ran for office in 2022, Amezcua’s campaign received more than $200,000 from the Santa Ana Police Officers Association.
Current union president John Kachirisky told LAist in a written statement that the amount of money the police union spends on each cycle varies, adding that “it all depends on how much we need to spend to elect City Councilmembers who support our sworn police officers and non-sworn employees’ right to collective bargaining and fair pay and benefits.”
How do endorsements work
To receive an endorsement from the police union, candidates have to fill out a questionnaire and then meet with the union’s Political Action Committee for an interview. The committee then makes a decision on whether to endorse a candidate and how much they spend on the campaign.
In the current election cycle, Kachirisky said the union is also endorsing Jeff Katz for Santa Ana City Council Ward 3.
Why the spending matters
Amezcua is running against Benjamin Vazquez, who currently serves on the City Council. Alvarado is waging a campaign against incumbent councilmember Johnathan Ryan Hernandez. While the city councilmembers are nonpartisan, Vazquez and Hernandez are seen as the progressive arm of the council, pushing for policies like expanding voting rights for non-U.S. citizens in the city.
Late last year, the police union also backed an unsuccessful recall of Councilmember Jessie Lopez, who is up for reelection.
Amalia Mejia, who serves as a commissioner on the Santa Ana Police Oversight Commission, said the police union is targeting candidates like Hernandez and Lopez because they favor community-oriented policies and have voted against over policing communities.
Large investments can affect small races that mostly run on small contributions, she added.
“When you compare someone who's running a small campaign in comparison to someone who has substantial funding, then you begin to see (an) increase in mailers, increase in advertisement, and a lot of misinformation,” Mejia said. “Candidates are then sometimes not held accountable for misinformation, as long as it's being sent out through somebody else.”
The police union, Mejia said, is strategic about investments, funding candidates that would support officers receiving pay raises and their policies. With election donations, councilmembers driven by special interests get voted in rather than those who will enact policies to benefit the community, she said.
Ongoing investigation in the city
In 2023, Hernandez complained to the city attorney as well as Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer about alleged Brown Act violations. In his complaint obtained by Voice of OC, Hernandez outlined how Amezcua allegedly told him she wants to fire Ridge, as well as former Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin.
The O.C. District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to inquires on whether they have opened an investigation.
Ridge has since left, while Valentin has retired.
Through her lawyers, Ridge submitted a claim to the city alleging Amezcua created a hostile working environment, making discriminatory comments about Ridge’s gender and ethnicity. The claim also alleges Amezcua asked Ridge to place items on the council agenda even if it violated the Brown Act, an open meetings law designed to give the public a chance to participate. Ridge also alleged that Amezcua asked her not to speak or answer questions during negotiations with the police union.
Ridge’s legal claim was first obtained and reported by KnockLA.
City leaders have since opened up an investigation into Ridge’s allegations of a hostile work environment at city hall. A law firm is expected to report on their findings in 2025.
LAist has reached out to the city's spokesperson for comment.
However, Kachirisky told LAist in a written statement that Ridge’s allegations were false.
“In recent years we faced a contract imposed on our members by a majority of the City Council, including 3 vehemently anti-law enforcement councilmembers that took away benefits for our members and have had to negotiate for a fair contract since,” he said.
The goal of the union, Kachirisky said, “is not to run the City Hall. Our goal is to get the best contract possible with good pay and benefits for our members.”
Pay raises amid looming budget cliff
The police union successfully negotiated pay raises for its members earlier this year. The raises, paid out over three years, will set the city back $27 million. This comes as city officials have sounded the alarm as revenue generated from the voter approved Measure X sales tax is set to reduce in 2029. Currently, the sales tax is responsible for 22% of the general fund budget.
What could this mean for city services? Funds generated from the sales tax go toward emergency response services, street repairs and the upkeep of parks and senior services. At a council meeting in April, city officials said projections show that because expenses are increasing faster than money is coming in, Santa Ana could see a budget deficit next year. The city is now exploring options, such as approving alcohol sales at local venues, in a bid to boost tax revenues.
LAist data journalist Maloy Moore contributed to this story.
