REDDING CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE RUSS WENHAM REPORTS $54,000 IN CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MORE THAN 140 DONORS, REJECTS "TRANSACTIONAL" OFFERS
Ninety-five percent of donors have known Wenham for more than a decade.
REDDING, CA – With 30 days until Election Day, Redding City Council candidate Russ Wenham's campaign has raised approximately $54,000 in cash and in-kind contributions from more than 140 individual donors. Gifts range from $10 to $4,000, and 95 percent of contributors have known Wenham for more than 10 years.
Wenham's donor base reflects the same diversity as the endorsements listed on his campaign website, www.russwenham.com/endorsements. Many contributors are current and former city employees, including staff from the Police and Fire Departments, the Community Development Department, the City Attorney's Office, and the Housing Department. Numerous former Caltrans colleagues also contributed, all of whom worked with Wenham decades ago.
About 25 percent of donors are business owners or private-sector executives. Nearly all these donors have known and worked with Wenham for at least 10 years, and many of the relationships go back as far as three decades.
Wenham said his private consulting career required balancing competing interests every day. About ten years ago, a government agency and four private businesses simultaneously contracted with his firm to develop infrastructure plans for a site where their interests overlapped. Wenham led the consulting effort, which also required coordinating approvals with a separate government agency.
"Being trusted to develop solutions without favoritism was an honor," Wenham said. "When interests compete, my mandate is to do honorable work for everyone at the table,” he went on to say.
Council members are pulled in many different directions, often by people and businesses looking out for themselves. That is why Wenham told everyone he will not be a Council member that has any alliances or promises to any organization or individual. Wenham will simply represent everyone with honesty and integrity.
Before accepting any significant contribution, Wenham spoke personally with each donor to make sure they understood he would not accept a donation that came with strings attached. He also turned down a substantial donation and endorsement when it was presented with a clear pay-to-play overture.
"I'll only take contributions and campaign assistance from people or organizations with whom there is a clear understanding that nothing is transactional," Wenham said.
Wenham was open about how his donor list could affect future votes. Under Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) regulations, Council members must recuse themselves from certain decisions for 12 months after receiving qualifying contributions from parties involved.
"Looking through the list of business donors, it's possible that I will be required to recuse myself from voting a few times. But it could be zero, depending on the items that come before Council in late December 2026 and much of 2027," Wenham said. "I will keep my donor list on hand and recuse myself whenever required, so there is never an appearance of pay-to-play politics."
Recusals are not unusual. Current Council members who own businesses also recuse themselves when conflicts arise. Wenham owns two residential properties in Redding and operates a sole-proprietor civil engineering business from his home. He does not, and will not, do consulting work in the city while running for or serving on the Council.
Wenham currently serves on the Redding Planning Commission, having been appointed by the City Council. Outside of public service, he has worked as a civil engineer and engineering consultant serving businesses and local governments throughout the region and previously served as a Caltrans executive and as an executive in an international consulting firm. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
