Written by Jamie Parsons
Last November, Democrat Andrea Cardenas beat incumbent Mike Diaz for a seat on the Chula Vista City Council. In the end, Cardenas finished with unpaid campaign bills totaling $36,691, and Diaz finished with a slight surplus. In many cities, ending a campaign in debt is not a problem however, the Chula Vista Municipal Code limits contributions per person to $360. Chula Vista’s code has been seen to be unclear and difficult, which has resulted in many candidates going into debt and not following the rules to pay off their owed money; Cardenas being one of them.
With the city’s campaign contribution limits, it is difficult for candidates to raise money after the ballots are cast because many of their donors have already given the maximum amount allowed. As a result, candidates look to companies to pay off their bills. After the 2020 election, Cardenas turned to Grassroots Resources; a company in which she works as a director of community affairs, to pay off her debt. According to Voice of San Diego, “Most of the money she owed after the election was to TMC Direct, a division of Turpin McLaughlin Communications that specializes in printing and mailers.” TMC Direct and Grassroots have a financial relationship and have worked aside each other on other campaigns.
The municipal code also suggests that if bills aren’t immediately paid off, they turn into donations. Since donations are capped, campaign debt over a certain amount could be interpreted as an illegal means of raising money. Even though violations of the city’s campaign finance rules are punishable as a misdemeanor, no candidate or elected official has been cited. Chula Vista elected officials argue that the rules are unclear because the code does not specify when the unpaid money becomes a donation.
It is common for candidates to offer their consultants a financial incentive if they win however, according to the Democratic cities municipal code they are not following the rules. That is why many elected officials and attorneys are advocating for changes in Chula Vista’s campaign finance laws. According to Voice of San Diego, Cardenas opponent, Diaz was not bitter about the outcome of the election but is convinced Cardenas campaign debt spending was a direct cause of him losing the re-election. He said, “a lot of candidates have used similar tactics over the years and it’ll keep on happening until the city puts a stop to it.”
As seen during Cardenas’s campaign, many candidates in Chula Vista don’t follow the Municipal Code. Not only does the code in place many financial campaign limits, but it lacks clear detail, leaving room for loopholes or rule-breaking. That is why Chula Vista’s Democrat-filled City Council needs to create a clear code that can ensure candidates follow the rules and or receive punishment for not complying with the law.
