Nearly $15,000 Raised for Marin Healthcare District Board Members Seeking Re-Election

Nearly $15,000 has been raised for the two incumbents seeking re-election to the Marin Healthcare District board while the challenger in the race has pledged to not raise or spend more than $1,000, according to the Marin Independent Journal.

The Alliance to Save Our Hospital, which once supported Sutter Health’s management of Marin General Hospital, has raised nearly $15,000 in contributions from more than 50 Marin residents, according to the IJ.

The funds will go toward the campaigns for Hank Simmonds and Ann Sparkman, whom are supporting each other during the race. 

Their opponent, San Rafael lawyer Joe Salama, is not required to file a campaign finance report because he said he won’t raise more than $1,000. 

When Simmonds was elected to the board in 2008, the Alliance to Save Our Hospital had raised more than $100,000 for Simmonds' campaign. But this year’s election is lacking in controversy, campaign officials told the IJ, and therefore less contributions are flowing in. 

Two years ago, the Marin Healthcare District board race involved three incumbents and two challengers, including Salama. The incumbent slate, which was backed by the alliance, won in the November 2010 election. 

has said he wants to make the hospital district’s finances more transparent and has publically critiqued his opponents. He has appeared to take an anti-bond stance in his campaign.

The alliance had been against Sutter returning Marin General Hospital to district control, but after it happened in June 2010 they became stark opponents of how Sutter ran the hospital. 

Who are you going to vote for in the Marin Healthcare District race? Do the campaign contributions influnce your decision? Tell us in the comments!

Mr. Joseph Salama 

Also known as : Joe
Age : 41
Place of residence : San Rafael, CA
College : UC Berkeley
Degree : BA in Economics
Year of graduation : 1993

Graduate School: Boston University School of Law
Area of research : Dispute Resolution
Year of graduation : 1996

Party affiliation : Libertarian
Previous elective offices : NA

Website : http://www.salama4health.com
Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/salama4health

Ms. Ann Sparkman

Age : 59
Place of residence : 6 Endeavor Drive, Corte Madera CA 94925
College : University of California, Berkeley
Degree : Bachelor in Zoology
Year of graduation : 1975

Grad school: University of San Francisco Law School
Area of research : Law
Year of graduation : 1987

Job titles held : Currently the Deputy Campus Counsel for Health Affairs, University of California, San Francisco; past titles included in-house counsel 
Employers : Past employers include Kaiser Permanente, Medical Malpractice Defense (both in-house and in private practice) and healthcare law (both in -house and private practice). 

Party affiliation : Democrat
Incumbent: Yes
Website : www.savemgh.com

Dr. Harris Filgate Simmonds M.D.

Also known as : Hank
Age : 73
Place of residence : San Rafael, California
College : UCLA
Degree : BA
Year of graduation : 1963

Grad school : UCLA Medical School
Year of graduation : 1967

Job titles held: Has been on medical staff at the Marin General Hospital since 1971, served as Chief of Medical Staff 1983-85, Chief Dept Ob/Gyn, Advisory Board Planned Parenthood, American Cancer Society

Has served in the military: Yes
Rank : Specialist E-4
Date when discharged from duty : 24 August 1959

Party affiliation : nonpartisan
Running for a: Local office 
Incumbent: Yes
First elected: 06 November 2008