Political DIY money

As next year’s election season looms ever closer, a couple of local politicos are lining up to place substantial cash bets on themselves. San Diego Republican city councilman Mark Kersey, who didn’t have an opponent in his first ballot foray three years ago, has laid down a cool $50,000 of his own money in the form of a loan to his campaign committee, Kersey for Council 2016. He didn’t raise any funds other than that. Up in Escondido, GOP mayor Sam Abed, who plans to take on politically troubled Democratic county supervisor Dave Roberts next June, has loaned his Abed for Supervisor 2016 fund $10,000. He lists his occupation as self-employed with Pacific West Consulting.

According to the firm’s website, Abed’s specialties include “land use and acquisition, environmental review and mitigation, development agreement and approval, lease holds for retail and commercial businesses, capital investment and corporate structure.” He also provides “crisis management, media relations, and strategic planning business sessions,” along with “customized website design and solutions to successfully enhance and promote your business.”

When Abed launched the firm in March 2013, the then-U-T San Diego reported that his partners were political consultant John Franklin, a longtime associate of Republican Congressman Darrell Issa; Public relations specialist Dick Daniels; and North County commercial real estate broker Don Zech. “We are definitely aware of conflicts of interest,” Abed was quoted by the paper as saying. “Not only legal conflicts, but ethical conflicts. You can’t use your mayor’s position to help your business.”

In any case, Abed has this year already collected a sizable political war chest from sources within and outside the city limits of Escondido, his June 14 disclosure report shows. Contributors to his $21,215 donor-derived haul included PR man Daniels ($150); Sammy’s Pizza maven Sammy Ladeki of La Jolla ($750); Rancho Santa Fe’s Elie Feghali of Little Cesar Pizza ($250); and John Sparduto of Warron Properties ($500).