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Mayor Becky Campo narrowed the campaign cash gap between her and challenger Luis Molina this month with a number of large donations, but she still trails her opponent in both monetary and nonmonetary contributions.

According to documents filed with the city last week, Campo raised $2,850 from Oct. 1 to Oct. 18, bringing her total for the year to $8,536. Molina raised $1,920 during the same period of time, giving him $10,178 this year.

Molina also reported more than $3,000 in nonmonetary contributions for things like food preparation, a large canopy and a musical performance by a local band. Those donations all came on Oct. 4 and 5 and apparently were used for a Molina rally on Oct. 5.

Campo’s earlier fundraising relied mostly on a large number of small donations. In the most recent period, though, she listed only seven donors — all but one gave $400 or $500.

Campo received four separate $500 donations in a five-day span after receiving just two of that size in the first nine months of the year.

She received $500 each from Patterson homemaker Linda Ielmini and Patterson Frozen Foods CEO Angelo Ielmini on Oct. 9. She then received $500 each from Mountain Valley Properties and from Stanislaus County probation officer Elizabeth Moon on Oct. 13.

She also received $400 each from Sandra Ielmini and Kris Lozowski, both of Patterson.

Molina, meanwhile, received only three contributions of more than $200 in the most recent filing period. His biggest recent donation was $625 from Eric and Sonia Musson of Patterson. He also received $500 from the Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3 of Alameda.

The union, which makes political endorsements in districts all over California and in other western states, lists Molina as its choice for Patterson’s mayor on its Web site.

Molina also received $350 from Modesto attorney Armand G. Skol.

While the candidates’ biggest expenses by a wide margin in the past were campaign signs, their most recent big purchases were mailings. Campo paid $1,587 for mailers from Modesto public relations firm Cardoza Associates Inc., while Molina paid $1,407 to SP Graphics in Sacramento.

City Council

As in the previous filing period, only two of the four candidates running for two City Council seats filed documents. Challengers Jeff Realini and Victor Slonksnis were not required to file any paperwork, they said, because neither has spent more than $1,000 on campaign expenses.

The two incumbents, Annette Smith and Dominic Farinha, have both raised about $3,000 since Jan. 1.

Smith raised $1,000 between Oct. 1 and 18, with $250 each coming from Traina Dried Fruit Inc., Modesto homemaker Beth Terry and Patterson farmer Jeff Arambel, and $200 coming from Ramos Farms.

Farinha raised $750 in the same time period. He received $250 each from Patterson farmer Willie Traina and the Keystone Corporation, and $200 from the Central Valley Democratic Club.