The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324, based in Buena Park, is one of the state’s big campaign contributors this election, with last-minute donations totaling $298,000.
The biggest of UFCW’s contributions are $100,000 given to the California Democratic Party in Sacramento and $100,000 to the Alliance for a Better California, also in Sacramento, a group of teacher organizations and unions backing Jerry Brown for governor and supporting several ballot measures.
Police and firefighters are breaking away from their historic tendency of contributing to the Republican Party. Although the amounts are relatively small, the Orange County Professional Firefighters Association PAC contributed $1,000 to Democrats Jeff Miller for Assembly, $1,000 to Phu Ngyuen for Assembly and $4,000 to the Democratic Foundation of Orange County.
The Santa Ana Police Officers Association PAC contributed $2,900 to state Sen. Lou Correa, D-Santa Ana, and the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs PAC gave Correa $1,000.
Anaheim Union High School District Board of Trustees candidates Anna Piercy, Jan Domene and Jordan Brandman received contributions of $10,144.38 each from the Teachers United PAC. Piercy and Brandman are defending their position on the board of trustees, while Domene is running for the other seat that’s up for grabs.
Sharon Portman, a member of the United Faculty union for the North Orange County Community College District received $23,000 from the California Teachers Association to support union-backed candidates Darlene Allen, Ruben Barron and Tim Keenan.
So far, each of the candidates has had $3,338 spent on their behalf. The union is backing the candidates in an attempt to clean out the current board.