Campaign Finance Filings Show Competitive District 4 Race

Campaign finance filings for the Whittier City Council District 4 race show a competitive contest developing between incumbent Fernando Dutra and challenger Aida Macedo, while candidate Phil Longoria currently trails the other candidates in fundraising and campaign resources.

The disclosure reports, filed with the City of Whittier, cover campaign activity through February 28, 2026.

Macedo leads fundraising during early 2026

According to the filings, Maceda raised the largest amount of money during the early 2026 reporting period.

• Aida Macedo: $18,233 in monetary contributions

• Fernando Dutra: $5,333 in contributions

• Phil Longoria: $2,378.97 in contributions plus $1,632.90 in loans

Macedo’s campaign raised more than three times the amount reported by Dutra during the reporting period.

However, fundraising totals alone do not fully determine a campaign’s financial strength.

Cash on hand shows near tie between Dutra and Macedo

Due largely to funds raised earlier in the election cycle, incumbent Councilmember Dutra currently holds slightly more campaign cash than Macedo.

• Fernando Dutra: $24,695 cash on hand

• Aida Macedo: $23,657 cash on hand

• Phil Longoria: $2,367 cash on hand

With just over $1,000 separating Dutra and Macedo, the two campaigns currently appear financially competitive.

Campaign spending

Macedo has also reported the largest campaign expenditures so far.

Her campaign reported $10,486 in spending, including payments for campaign consulting, video production, yard signs, and professional services.

Dutra reported $7,483 in campaign spending, primarily focused on canvassing operations, printed campaign literature, and campaign events.

Longoria reported $4,279 in expenditures, largely related to direct mail and fundraising activities.

Donor networks show different campaign bases

A review of the campaign filings reveals significant differences in the geographic origins of campaign contributions.

Macedo’s donor list includes contributors from across California and beyond, including addresses in Berkeley, Oakland, Orinda, San Rafael, Clovis, Long Beach, Covina, and other locations.

Several of her largest contributions include:

• $2,500 from contractor Hector Cardona of L.A. Properties

• $1,500 from attorney William Ha

• $1,500 from program director Elica Vafaie

• $1,000 contributions from Brian and Katherine King of Berkeley

While Macedo’s campaign includes contributors from Whittier, most of the campaign’s donations originate from outside the city.

By contrast, most of Dutra’s donors appear to list Whittier addresses or connections to local businesses, suggesting a more locally concentrated donor base.

His largest contribution during the reporting period was $2,500 from the International Union of Operating Engineers, a labor organization based in Pasadena. Prior to this his largest contributor was CREPAC which donated a combined $5,000 to his 2022 reelection campaign. Because that election was cancelled due to lack of interest, those funds rolled over to the current election.

Longoria’s fundraising also appears largely local, with most contributors listing addresses in Whittier or nearby communities.

Concentration of Whittier donations

The filings also indicate that the majority of Macedo’s Whittier-based fundraising come from just three contributors who live in Whittier.

While the campaign has drawn donors from across the state, most of the donations originating within Whittier appear concentrated among just a couple of individuals.

Campaign finance analysts often review these patterns to better understand the networks supporting a candidate’s campaign.

CREPAC and development-related contributions

Campaign finance disclosures also show that Dutra has received donations from contributors connected to the California Real Estate Political Action Committee (CREPAC) network back in 2021 and 2022 which were rolled over to the 2026 election.

CREPAC is a political organization associated with the California Association of Realtors and has been active in supporting candidates who favor policies that increase housing supply and development.

Real estate industry groups have in recent years organized statewide political initiatives encouraging local governments to approve additional housing construction.

While campaign finance filings show donations from individuals connected to the real estate sector, the records reviewed do not by themselves establish whether any particular contribution influenced specific council votes. A review conducted by Whittier 360 News Network examined the timing of certain development-related contributions alongside City Council agenda items related to housing.

Records show that one contribution connected to the real estate sector was made on December 9, 2021, followed by a second contribution on January 6, 2022.

City Council meeting records indicate that Dutra participated in votes on housing-related agenda items during the general time period surrounding those contributions.

However, meeting records reviewed by Whittier 360 show no housing development vote occurring within the 30 days immediately before or after the first contribution.

Some housing-related items considered by the council during the broader time period involved funding or administrative matters related to housing programs, rather than direct approvals of specific development projects. The one vote was about providing funding to help homeless, elderly, or impoverished residents afford their rents.

The campaign finance records themselves do not establish whether any specific contribution influenced any particular vote.

Local donor networks and municipal elections

In municipal elections, the geographic origin of campaign donations can sometimes matter as much as the total amount raised.

Candidates whose campaigns receive a large share of their funding from within the city or within their district benefit from stronger neighborhood networks, volunteer activity, and community familiarity.

For that reason, analysts often examine not only how much money campaigns raise, but where the money originates.

Candidate From Outside Whittier 

Campaign filings and publicly available records also provide context regarding Maceda’s connection to the Whittier area. Records indicate that she lived and worked in the Fresno region for many years before relocating to Whittier within the past year.

This relatively recent move is reflected in the geographic distribution of campaign contributions. A review of filings shows that most of her donors are located outside Whittier, while only a limited number (less than 8) appear to reside within the city. This indicates limited connection to Whittier.

In contrast, a greater proportion of contributions to the campaigns of Fernando Dutra and Phil Longoria appear to originate from Whittier residents or nearby communities.

Early outlook for the District 4 race

Based on currently available campaign finance data, the District 4 race appears to be shaping up as a competitive contest between Dutra and Macedo.

Macedo has demonstrated strong fundraising momentum during the 2026 reporting period, while Dutra retains the advantages of incumbency, name recognition, and a campaign balance roughly equal to his challenger.

Longoria, while maintaining a donor base largely concentrated within Whittier, currently trails the other candidates in financial resources.

Based on current financial indicators and campaign activity, the race could be roughly characterized as follows:

• Fernando Dutra: approximately 45% likelihood of winning

• Aida Macedo: approximately 40% likelihood of winning

• Phil Longoria: approximately 15% likelihood of winning

These estimates are based on fundraising totals, campaign resources, donor networks, local support vs outside support, and incumbency advantages. Actual election outcomes will ultimately depend on voter turnout, campaign messaging, and developments later in the election cycle.

Additional campaign finance filings later in the year may provide further insight into how the District 4 race develops.