Inspired by the recent MV Voice headline: Realtors, unions spend big in Mountain View City Council race. I had known about Citizens United and PACs but never before considered they would bother with small local races.

So I went looking for data. Found it at Netfile.com. Since the article came out two new PACs have contributed to Donahue and Cox’s campaign, one of which is a newly-formed entity which has made no donations to any other campaign.

All Independent Contributors in the 2026 Race

  • South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council Committee on Political Education spent $18,763.47 so far in support of Erik Poicon.

The Firefighters regularly spend on council races, supporting in recent years McAlister, Clark, Showalter, Conley, and Abe-Koga, among others.

  • National Association Of Realtors Fund spent $38,922 so far in support of Paul Donahue, and another $38,922 in support or Robert Cox.

South Bay AFL-CIO has only one other filing for MV City Council, in support of John Inks in 2018

  • Mountain View Professional Firefighters PAC spent $11,400 ($3,800 per campaign) in support of Idarose Sylvester, Paul Donahue, and Robert Cox

The National Association of Realtors likewise has only once before endorsed a Mountain View candidate: Lisa Matichak.

A colorful mailer with three pictures of a had and the text a candidate for city council who wears many hats
Example of a mailer by the Realtor PAC in support of Robert Cox
  • California Alliance of Family Owned Businesses Spent $8,659 on mailers for Cox and Donahue.

This PAC has been around for a while, and while I could not find any other city council race spending they did contribute 1k to Margaret Abe-Koga for Santa Clara County Supervisor 2024. This year they are mostly spending in SF, supporting supervisor candidates Stephen Sherrill, Alan Wong, and Theo Ellington.

  • Peninsula Opportunity PAC spent $5,705 on mailers for each campaign.

This entity is brand new. The first filing anywhere by this entity is 9/23/2026. Just over a month ago. It’s funds come from six entities: Prometheus Real Estate Group, Sares Regis Group, Acco Managment Company and Richard Tod Spieker each contributed $2,400. 610 Grand Fir LLC(Danielle Kalcic) contributed $700 and Miramar Manor LLC(Paul kalcic) contributed $800.

Basically a bunch of local landloards. And this PAC has not spent on any other campaign. It seems to be formed with the single purpose of supporting Cox and Donahue.

That’s all I could find. I am glad for the transparency laws that allow viewing who’s behind the sometimes misleading names of these PACs, and happy voting!