Money and outside donors reshape three Oxnard council races
The central figure in this year’s Oxnard City Council contests is not on the ballot but his influence is unmistakable. Council member Aaron Starr, midway through his first term and not up for re-election until 2028, recruited and publicly backed three challengers — John Barrick in District 1, Lizanne Nañez in District 2 and Noemi Corpuz in District 5 — who together have raised substantially more campaign cash than the incumbents they seek to unseat.
As of Oct. 21, the seven candidates in the three contested races had reported raising a combined $204,000, according to campaign finance filings with the city. An independent committee supporting the incumbents reported another $123,000 in receipts. Tens of thousands of dollars of that money has come from donors outside Ventura County — an uncommon pattern in Oxnard municipal elections.
- Seven candidates in the three races: combined fundraising of $204,000.
- Independent committee backing incumbents: $123,000.
- Challengers backed by Starr have raised roughly 3.5 times the funds of the three incumbents.
The three incumbents standing for re-election are Bert Perello (District 1), Gabe Teran (District 2) and Gabriela Basua (District 5). Each faces a challenger recruited or endorsed by Starr; District 1 also has a third candidate, Eduardo Huerta, who is not aligned with either camp and has not reported fundraising or expenditures.
"I've never been in a race like this," said Bert Perello, the incumbent in District 1, who is in his sixth campaign for City Council.
Campaign finance totals show an escalation in spending compared with the last time these same three districts were on the ballot. Four years ago, the candidates in those contests raised about $8,000 in total. This year, filings indicate campaigns have raised more than $40 for every dollar raised in that earlier election — underscoring how dramatically fundraising dynamics have shifted.
Outside money and political alignments
Many of the donors supporting the Starr-backed challengers are the same individuals or entities, and a significant portion are based outside Ventura County. That contrasts with prior local elections in which most contributions came from within the county and from small donors.
The incumbents have responded by consolidating institutional support: local labor unions and the chamber of commerce are backing the sitting council members, and the independent committee’s fundraising appears aimed at shoring up the incumbents’ campaigns. The combination of higher overall spending, coordinated backing on both sides and out-of-county contributions has made this cycle one of the most expensive and divisive in Oxnard history.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Combined fundraising — seven candidates | $204,000 |
| Independent committee supporting incumbents | $123,000 |
| Fundraising in 2022 for same districts (total) | $8,000 |
Local elected officials and voters say the intensity of the contest has heightened attention to issues that will be on council agendas regardless of who wins, including housing, public safety and development. Campaign cash, however, has become a focal point in itself: the origins and concentration of donations, the role of a sitting council member in recruiting challengers and whether this level of outside funding will influence council priorities if the challengers prevail.
With election day approaching, each side is pressing its message in mailers, candidate forums and digital advertising. The outcome in Districts 1, 2 and 5 will determine whether the current council’s balance shifts and could affect policy decisions during the coming years. Voters in those districts will decide whether to return the incumbents who prevailed in 2022 or to elect the trio of Starr-backed challengers seeking to change the council’s direction.
The campaign finance filings through Oct. 21 provide a snapshot of the financial arms race that has emerged. Additional donations and committee activity could alter the totals before ballots are counted. For residents watching local government closely, the 2026 council contests are an unusual — and expensive — test of political organizing in Oxnard.
