Sonny Dhaliwal has built up quite the campaign war chest according to his campaign filing statements that were submitted to the Lathrop City Clerk last week.
Dhaliwal, who is running for his third two-year term as the city’s mayor, has raised $37,153 in just under three months to fund his campaign and as of the filing, has spent nearly $12,000 to leave him with more than $25,000 to spend over the last month of what has become a contentious campaign against a political newcomer with deep connections.
And while both candidates received healthy contributions from those connected to trucking and logistical businesses – with Steven Macias, Dhaliwal’s challenger, receiving more than $7,000 from the owner of Lathrop’s only existing truck stop and Dhaliwal receiving a handful of smaller donations in excess of $1,000 from businesses and business owners that are affiliated with transportation and fuel – Dhaliwal is the only one of the two that has taken money from developers.
Dhalwial has received $2,500 from Engeo, a Bay Area development firm with connections to the bustling River Islands Development, and according to his recent filing, has received $2,500 directly from River Islands Development, which is listed as Walnut Creek-based business according to records.
Last week it was reported that Macias, who was vocal in his opposition to the Pilot/Flying J Truck Stop prior to announcing his run for mayor, had received a $5,000 check from Dalwinder Dhoot, the owner of Joe’s Travel Plaza – Lathrop’s only full-service truck stop that caters to traffic along the I-5 corridor and would likely be impacted once the nation’s largest transportation fueling company comes to town.
But in his filing last week Macias disclosed that he has received another $2,000 from Dhoot for his campaign.
On the same day that Macias filed the requisite forms to disclose Dhoot’s second donation, he also received a $2,000 check from Livermore businessman Santokh Judge. His own consulting company wrote his campaign a $900 check, and he received the same amount of money from Manjit Uppal of Acampo.
Macias also apparently hired the services of William Boyd as his campaign consultant for the election – paying him $1,400 for his services, the largest amount that he spent to date apart from the $2,800 he spent on signs from a Modesto company.
Macias has reportedly taken in $12,825 in the three-month reporting period that ended on Sept. 24, although the additional $2,000 he received from both Dhoot and Judge was given three days after he filed his first mandatory financial statement that wasn’t a standalone donation form.
Both candidates have hinted at the other being behind the destruction of their respective campaign signs, although both claim no knowledge or responsibility for the destruction.

To contact reporter Jason Campbell email jcampbell@mantecabulletin.com or call 209.249.3544.