The failure of three Santa Rosa City Council candidates to disclose that they were sharing expenses during the 2010 campaign violated state law, the state’s campaign finance watchdog has concluded. Santa Rosa city council members Scott Bartley and Jake Ours and unsuccessful council candidate Juan Hernandez received warning letters recently but no fines from the state Fair Political Practices Commission, which investigated the matter.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman has maintained his fundraising lead in the crowded race for the North Coast seat in Congress that seems likely to set a campaign spending record of $3 million or more for the region.

Windsor this week joined a growing list of local and state governments urging Congress to propose a constitutional amendment to limit political spending by corporations. “In my mind, corporations have too much influence,” Mayor Debora Fudge said Friday. Do you think the Citizens United decision should be overturned?

Sonoma Mayor Joanne Sanders loaned herself $40,000 for her bid to replace Valerie Brown on the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, an amount that catapults Sanders to the top of the current fund-raising standings. In addition to the loan, Sanders received $4,605 in donations for the reporting period covering Jan. 1 through March 17, according to her campaign finance report. ‘I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to win this race,’ Sanders says.

State and local elected officials from Sonoma County this week called on Congress to overturn a 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that prevents the government from restricting political spending by corporations in candidate elections.

John Sawyer and Susan Gorin, the two Santa Rosa-based candidates who are seeking to replace retiring Sonoma County Supervisor Valerie Brown, have opened up sizeable fundraising leads on their opponents. New campaign finance reports filed Thursday reveal a geographic split between the candidates for the 1st District supervisorial seat.

Attorney Erin Carlstrom has taken an early fundraising lead in her bid for one of the four Santa Rosa City Council seats on the ballot in November, but the field is far from settled.

Candidates vying to replace retiring Sonoma County Supervisor Valerie Brown are off to a relatively slow start in the fundraising race. Gina Cuclis topped the list of five candidates in the contest for the 1st District supervisorial seat, which takes in Sonoma Valley, the city of Sonoma and parts of eastern Santa Rosa.

UPDATE 9:20 PM: Three-term Assemblyman Jared Huffman and political newcomer Stacey Lawson emerged Wednesday as the leading fund-raisers in a highly competitive race for the North Coast seat in Congress. Huffman, D-San Rafael, reported $586,131 in donations last year, retaining his top spot in campaign cash. Lawson, a San Rafael businesswoman making her first run for public office, collected $455,959. A third Democrat, Marin activist Norman Solomon, picked up $311,817 last year

North Bay Assemblyman Michael Allen introduced a resolution Wednesday to reverse a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed corporations to spend as freely as individuals in campaigns. “It’s a system that’s out of whack, and for democracy to function well, everybody needs a voice and not to have some voices drown out the others because of overwhelming resources,” Allen said.