Manteca City Council and mayoral hopefuls have raised a record $144,913 entering tonight’s candidate’s forum at the Manteca Transit Center, 220 Moffat Blvd.

The League of Women Voters of San Joaquin County in partnership with the Manteca Bulletin is sponsoring the candidate forum. It is open to the public.

It starts at 6:30 p.m. with the four council hopefuls — David Breitenbucher, Mike Morowit, Jose Nuno, and Chris Silva — providing opening statements, responding to questions, and then providing a closing statement. Then at 7:15 p.m. mayor candidates Ben Cantu and Steve DeBrum will follow the same 45-minute format.

Voters will elect two council members as well as a mayor on Nov. 6.

As of Friday, candidates have raised a record $144,913. It eclipses the previous record of $125,000 that was spent in 2014 the last time the majority of the council was up for grabs via two council seats and the mayor’s post.

With less than a month to go, the candidates could easily surpass $150,000 in campaign donations.

DeBrum has raised $47,151 so far to top his 2014 mark of $46,404. That includes $5,000 from the Punjabi American Association of Manteca. It stands as the biggest contribution ever in Manteca election history. It stood unmatched for a week before Cantu secured a $5,000 donation from Eliberto Cantu of Texas.

Cantu has raised $29,274 so far this election cycle compared to $6,649 in 2014.

Altogether $76,425 has been raised to date by the two mayoral hopefuls.

Nuno tops the four council candidates with $35,795. He is followed by Morowit with $18,445, Breitenbucher with $10,095, and Silva with $4,250.

Gary Singh — who is now midway through his first four-year term — set the individual high mark of $51,405 in his successful 2014 campaign when there were only two council seats up for grabs.

Since Manteca is a general law city the mayor is essentially an elected council member that runs the meetings, makes appointments to the various commissions with the consent of the council majority, and serves as the ceremonial top elected city official.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com