Can sex industry proceeds land a California water district seat?
October 23, 2014
The original owner of the domain name sex.com is spending at a record pace to grab a government post in Silicon Valley. [Mercury News]
Palo Alto resident Gary Kremen, who sold the sex.com domain in 2006 for $15 million, is running for a seat on the Santa Clara Valley Water District board. As of last week, Kremen, 51, has raised $346,773, most of which has come out of his own pocket.
That total is at least five times more than any candidate for the position has ever spent.
Kremen’s motivations for obtaining a seat on the water district board remain unclear. His desire to win does not.
“I want to win,” Kremen said when asked of his motives. “As people have seen in my career, I like to move the needle by winning, not losing. It’s really a huge district, and it’s hard to beat an incumbent.”
The Santa Clara Valley Water District is a San Jose-based agency that provides drinking water and flood protection services. Kremen’s district includes Palo Alto, Los Gatos and Almaden Valley, all areas he has blanketed with glossy mailers and yards signs.
Kremen has also used war chest money to hire Rich Robinson, a San Jose political consultant. Robinson has worked for Dianne Feinstein, Willie Brown and Bill Clinton in the past.
The water district board position pays a total of $260 per meeting.
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