Councilman Chuck Bongiovanni emerged as the top fundraiser in the ongoing race for Gilbert Town Council, reporting a sizable personal loan to his campaign in the most recent finance filing. The update, covering activity through the second quarter, shows Bongiovanni added $38,000 in the latest reporting period, bringing his campaign’s total receipts to $78,000 as he seeks a second term in the July 21 primary.
Stacks of cash with a voter button, illustrating campaign fundraising as the Tribune reports Bongiovanni led the race for campaign contributions.
In the most recent filing, Bongiovanni reported a $30,000 loan to his own campaign. Other contributions listed in that filing included $6,500 from the Gilbert Firefighter Political Action Committee and a combined $1,500 from West and SouthEast Realtors of the Valley and the Realtors of Arizona PAC. The report also notes that the two real estate groups have contributed a combined $8,000 to Bongiovanni over the election cycle. On the spending side, Bongiovanni recorded $11,000 in second-quarter expenditures and $35,000 in total expenditures to date, leaving approximately $43,300 in campaign funds. Specific disbursements identified in the filings included $24,600 paid to Mesa Sign Shop, $3,000 to The HD Group for campaign strategy work, $460 to ValPak and $1,000 to The Arizona Beehive for advertising.
Two fellow incumbents also disclosed their second-quarter fundraising and spending. Jim Torgeson reported $37,500 in contributions for the quarter, with $27,000 of that coming from his own funds. Other receipts included $2,000 from dentist Brandon Ryff and $200 from Realtor Tom Smith. Torgeson’s filing showed total expenditures of $4,860 in the quarter, with the bulk of those payments made to Mesa Sign Shop for campaign signage. Bobbi Buchli’s second-quarter fundraising was smaller by comparison; she reported $3,600 for the quarter, bringing her total campaign receipts to $10,280. Her individual contributions included $250 from land-use attorney Brennan Ray, $200 from Jeffery Gunderson of Lennar Homes, $100 from real estate broker Ryan Duncan and $300 from Realtor Krista Bilsten.
Buchli’s latest filings also showed contributions from political action committees, including $1,000 from Cox and $1,500 from the Gilbert Firefighters PAC; the Gilbert Firefighters committee has contributed a total of $6,500 to Buchli in this election cycle. Buchli reported $8,860 in second-quarter expenditures, with itemized spending that included $2,000 paid to attorney Tim LaSota and $500 to 100 Squared Financial for bookkeeping services.
Among the challengers seeking seats on the council, Bus Obayomi reported $7,760 in second-quarter receipts, increasing his campaign’s total to $59,270. Obayomi’s individual donations listed in the filing included $1,000 from Oluwaseyi Obayomi, identified as an auditor; $500 from Joel Obayomi, an architect; and $200 from real estate developer Clay Richardson. The filings also note that Obayomi began his campaign with $50,000 already in hand. His campaign’s expenditures were substantial during the quarter, totaling $23,150. Those outlays included $5,000 to The HD Group, $3,400 to Mesa Sign Shop, $6,300 to PrintWerx for campaign materials and $2,550 to Rocket Media for website development.
Joel Coen, another challenger, reported $12,400 in recent contributions, raising his total to $19,300. Itemized personal donations to Coen included $1,000 from Luke Ford, identified as the founder and CEO of an IT company; $500 from Mesa entrepreneur Rich Gnaley; $191 from Paradise Valley attorney Martin Galbut; $200 from Gilbert Realtor Kari Hansen; and $191 from Mike James, listed as a vice president of a Scottsdale development company. Coen’s filing also showed PAC support, with $6,500 from the Gilbert Firefighters PAC and $1,500 from the Realtors of Arizona PAC. His campaign reported $9,400 in expenditures for the period, which included $1,360 paid to Lindsay Ropchock for flyer and sign design, $1,270 to Jami Hinz for administrative resources and $5,800 to Mesa Sign Shop. Coen’s expenditures also included $1,400 of his own money.
Other candidates disclosed smaller but still notable fundraising and spending activity. Bill Spence reported $1,700 in receipts during the quarter, bringing his total to $11,700; he had previously loaned his campaign $10,000 in the first quarter. Spence’s recent contributions included $200 from John Sentz, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, and $1,500 from the Realtors of Arizona PAC. Spence’s latest filing showed $675 in spending paid to Von Young for canvassing. Beth Goulden reported taking in $7,150 in the quarter, increasing her total to $12,135. Donors listed for Goulden included Gilbert retirees Deborah and Lawrence Hoel, who each gave $1,500; $2,000 from Jennifer Haldeman, identified as a hair stylist; $200 from state Sen. Shawnna Bolick; $100 from attorney Vanessa Tucker; and $500 from the Freedom Club PAC. Goulden’s campaign reported $11,000 in expenditures for the period, which included $5,100 paid to RocketChics Marketing Co. and $260 to Anedot for bank service fees, along with a payment to M&T Political Signs noted in the filings.
The contest remains a nonpartisan race for four open seats on Gilbert Town Council, with seven candidates—including Bongiovanni, incumbents Jim Torgeson and Bobbi Buchli, and challengers such as Bus Obayomi and Joel Coen—competing. Councilwoman Yung Koprowski has chosen not to seek re-election, opening an additional seat in this election cycle. The finance reports, filed last week and covering activity through June 30 for the second quarter, reflect a mix of self-funding, contributions from unions and local PACs, donations from industry groups and payments to consultants and vendors as each campaign positions itself ahead of the July 21 primary.
The Gilbert Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Chuck Bongiovanni, Jim Torgeson, and Joel Coen following its nonpartisan review of candidate interviews, aligning with pro-business priorities in the race. (Gilbert Chamber of Commerce)
Under Arizona law, individual contribution limits for local candidates are set by statute and for this election cycle are $6,750 per election (those limits automatically adjust in odd-numbered years and are scheduled to rise to $6,850 on Jan. 1, 2027).
State election guidance notes that a candidate’s personal funds or loans to their own campaign are not subject to those contribution limits, so Bongiovanni’s reported $30,000 loan is treated as candidate-provided funds rather than a third-party donation that would be capped.
Campaign finance reports for Gilbert candidates are filed with the Gilbert Town Clerk—who serves as the filing officer for town elections—and those filings (including the second-quarter reports covering activity through June 30) are publicly available through the town’s elections resources.