OB Rag Staff Report
When the Rag began our 2026 San Diego City Council election coverage, we promised to “scrutinize the candidates in the June primary: who they are, what they’ve done, what they say, and most importantly, where their money comes from.”
Our first post reviewed Campaign Disclosure Reports (Series 400) for three District 2 candidates and listed their top contributors. This post focuses on three candidates in the District 8 primary.
Venus Molina
Molina is in first place with $66,234. Many of her contributors are corporate leaders and lobbyists, some of whom have close ties to Mayor Todd Gloria. They include:
Mel Katz, Manpower, $1600
Marco Sessa, Sudberry Properties, $1,600
Alan Viterbi, Elm Grove Strategies, $1,600
Chris Frahm, Attorney,/former Water Authority Chair, $1,600
Juan Carlos Hernandez, CA Southern SBDC, $1,500
Ben Haddad, CA Strategies, $800
Craig Benedetto, CA Strategies, $800
Gil Cabrera, The Cabrera Firm, $800
Robert Gleason, Evans Hotel, $800
And a political action committee, San Diegans for Fairness Supporting Venus Molina for City Council District 8, has collected $5,000.
Molina is Chief of Staff for District 2 Councilmember Jennifer Campbell. She formerly served as Chief of Policy for District 4 Councilmember Tony Young.
Antonio Martinez
Martinez is in second place with $49,688. Many of his donors are in real estate and development. They include:
Japhet Perez, UCSD Research Analyst, $1,600
Donald Ashley, Real Estate Agent/Investor, $1,050
Michael McPhee, La Jolla Pacific Development Group, $1,000
James Matson, Kimley-Horn, $800
Mark Arabo, Refined Management, $800
David Beacham, RAHD Affordable Housing Group, $800
Colin Rice, RAHD Affordable Housing Group, $800
Tim Walsh, RAHD Affordable Housing Group, $800
Martinez is a staffer to Congressman Juan Vargas. He has served four terms on the San Ysidro School Board.
Rafael Perez
Perez is in third place with $19,080. Many of his donors are in real estate and business development. They include:
Andrew Ballester, EyePop.ai, $1,600
Jason Madiedo, Panorama Mortgage Group, $1,000
Talia-Sharina Carbajal, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific SW, $800
Robert Apodaca, Business Development, $500
Michelle Krug, City of San Diego Mobility Board, $539
Denise Newell, Palisade Realty, $500
Max Zaker, Realty of America. $500
Perez is the Board Chair of the Casita Coalition and a former Board Member for the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors. He currently serves on the San Diego Regional Airport Authority Board.
Other District 8 Candidates
Four D8 candidates – Francisco Mayoral Munoz, Miguel Ochoa, Kenia Peraza, and Gerardo Ramirez – did not list contributions in their reports.
The Districts 2 and 8 2026 Council races are for open seats with no incumbents running for re-election. In two other 2026 Council races, Districts 4 and 6, incumbents are running. The Rag will review those in future posts.
