Follow the Money
Compare candidate-controlled contributions, outside committee funding and independent expenditures.
Incumbents vs. challengers · reported candidate contributions
Calendar-year-to-date total contributions (Form 460 summary, line 5, column B) from the latest reviewed periodic filings. These totals may include loans or candidate self-funding.
| Candidate | Status | Reported contributions | Official filing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sue Kempf | Incumbent | $38,752.00 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Mark Orgill | Incumbent | $28,935.61 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Alex Rounaghi | Incumbent | $65,742.18 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Ashley Cintas | Challenger | $26,763.00 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Laura Parisi | Challenger | Periodic total pending | Total not yet verified |
| Nick Aronoff | Challenger | $10,575.00 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Edward Bayuk | Challenger | Periodic total pending | Total not yet verified |
| Joy Berry | Challenger | $11,689.00 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
| Karen Martin | Challenger | $1,599.00 | Form 460 · summary ↗ |
Periodic reporting periods end September 19, 2026, except Joy Berry’s filing, which ends September 17. Reviewed October 8. Pending means unavailable in this review, not zero. The challenger subtotal is incomplete; a definitive group fundraising ratio cannot be calculated. Filings can be amended.
Outside support · separate from candidate accounts
OUTSIDE CONTRIBUTIONS · $100,000
Regency Properties · supporting the three incumbents through an outside committee
Regency Properties, L.P. and Affiliated Entities was reported as contributing $100,000 on September 30 to the Laguna Beach Good Leadership Committee Supporting Kempf, Rounaghi and Orgill for City Council 2026 (FPPC ID 1497439). Its October 1 Form 497 reports this contribution once, supporting the three incumbents together; no candidate allocation is reported. Committee Form 497 ↗
Independent expenditures: $61,465.39 for October 2. The committee’s October 3 Forms 496 report $20,488.48 supporting Sue Kempf, $20,488.46 supporting Alex Rounaghi and $20,488.45 supporting Mark Orgill. This is a dated spending snapshot, separate from the $100,000 received and candidate contributions; it does not establish current cash or total committee spending. Kempf ↗ · Rounaghi ↗ · Orgill ↗
Other candidates: outside support is not established by the reviewed filings shown here. This does not mean none exists.
Regency Properties’ background
Official Coastal Commission records identify Regency Properties, L.P. with Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach. A March 26, 2021 staff report names “Surf & Sand Resort, Regency Properties, L.P.” as the applicant for resort-hotel renovations. This documents a local hotel/property connection; it does not establish the contributor’s motives, current ownership structure, or all affiliated entities. Coastal Commission applicant and project record ↗
Direct PAC contributions and a later candidate loan
A Firefighters PAC Form 460 reports $500 in direct monetary contributions to each of Kempf, Orgill and Rounaghi. These are candidate-committee contributions, not independent expenditures. They are not added to the totals above, avoiding double counting where already included. Firefighters PAC · Schedules D/E ↗
Joy Berry’s Form 497, filed October 5, reports a $3,000 receipt on October 2 described as “loan.” The loan checkbox is blank and no interest rate is reported. This later receipt is shown separately from her September 17 periodic total. Berry Form 497 ↗
Where individual contributions come from
Selected verified Schedule A entries below show reported occupations and employers without individual donor names or residential addresses. These are examples, not complete occupation or industry totals. A complete breakdown for each of the nine candidates is unavailable in this review.
| Candidate | Reported occupation | Reported employer | Amount / date | Official filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Orgill | Real estate | CCH Management LLC | $500 Aug. 25, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 5 ↗ |
| Mark Orgill | Builder / developer | The Shipp Group | $250 Aug. 26, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 7 ↗ |
| Sue Kempf | Real-estate investor | Self-employed | $500 Aug. 22, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 11 ↗ |
| Sue Kempf | Real-estate advisor | Self-employed | $500 Aug. 25, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 13 ↗ |
| Alex Rounaghi | Builder | Empress Builders | $500 Aug. 8, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 10 ↗ |
| Alex Rounaghi | Developer | Space Investment Partners | $500 Aug. 25, 2026 | Schedule A · p. 27 ↗ |
An employer is an affiliation reported for an individual contribution; it does not mean the employer made that contribution. Occupation entries do not establish donor motives or improper influence. Business and PAC contributions identify the contributing entity. Petition signers are not treated as donors.
Jungle General — Democracy with a small “d” →
How to read the money
Candidate contributions go to candidate committees. Loans are a separately identifiable source that may already be included in Form 460 totals. Outside committee contributions are money received by another committee. Independent expenditures are that committee’s spending to support or oppose candidates. Do not combine receipts with spending, allocate group support without evidence, or count the same contribution twice.
Do the same donors support multiple candidates?
Funding analysis and verification status → · Candidate support and alliances →
Official campaign filings → · Alex Rounaghi’s developer-employment response →