RUSS WENHAM REPORTS MORE THAN $20,700 RAISED FROM 68 DONORS

Grassroots campaign raises $20,713 from 68 individual donors through the June 30 reporting period.

Redding City Council candidate Russ Wenham has filed his first campaign finance disclosure, reporting $20,713 raised from sixty-eight individual donors through the June 30 reporting period. Although the disclosure is not due until July 31, Wenham submitted it early as part of his commitment to transparency. The disclosure is available on the City Clerk's campaign finance reporting website.

"Transparency is important to me, which is why I chose to file this disclosure well before the deadline," Wenham said. "I'm honored that 68 people have already chosen to invest in my campaign and in the future of our community. I quietly began discussing a campaign with friends on May 12. Between then and June 30, we received $20,713 in contributions."

"The first contribution came from me. I didn't think it was right to ask others to invest in the campaign until I had done so myself,” Wenham went on to say.

Wenham also disclosed that he initially loaned his campaign $3,000, which was later repaid. “Before I signed a contract for campaign materials, I made sure there was money in the bank to pay the bills. I’m running my campaign budget the same way I run every budget – I never make financial commitments without clarity that the funds will be there to pay what is owed,”

Wenham said. "Whether a donation is large or small, every contribution is meaningful and comes with an expectation that I will serve the community with strength and integrity," Wenham said. "One contribution I'll never forget came from a 19-year-old college student who handed me an envelope containing $15 in cash and simply said he believed I would work hard for everyone in Redding."

Wenham has served on the Redding Planning Commission for two years following his appointment 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. Campaign funds will be used to communicate his experience and priorities to voters ahead of the November election.

"I believe Redding needs leaders who have the experience to know the right things to do and the courage to do it," Wenham said. "My engineering background, Planning Commission service, and years of working with businesses and local governments have prepared me to do exactly that."

Wenham expects to file his nomination papers with the City Clerk this week after collecting the required signatures from registered Redding voters.