Sunday, February 2, 2014

Campaign financial disclosure forms: Looking at county election coin II

So, I pored through some more campaign financial disclosure forms today, this time looking at County Commission seats and some bigger seats that aren’t expected to get major challenges. You can find yesterday’s work of awesomeness right smack here.

Campaign financial disclosure statements were due Friday. The statements cover the period of July 1, 2013 through Jan. 15. Note that for the most part I’m only jotting down numbers for candidates who have actually turned in nominating petitions (except in a few cases where it’s a given that they’re going to run or seek re-election).

I’ll hit up some of the other races later. (I think I’m down to just the judges now.)

Also, keep in mind that there are some people who have raised quite a bit of coin and have probably tapped the well at this point, and there are others who haven’t even begun to rake in the bucks.
These are early numbers and don’t mean a whole lot (except in a few real obvious cases that I’ll let you figure out).

The county primary is set for May with an August general election. (For the purposes of this post, whichever candidate has the most money gets listed first.)

COUNTY COMMISSION

District 3
  • Billy Stephens: The only potential candidate to even pick up and return a nominating petition, Stephens not only didn’t file a campaign financial disclosure form, he technically can’t even accept donations, since he also hasn’t filed the paperwork for his “appointment of treasurer,” at least according to the election commissioner’s website.

District 7
  • Bo Bennett: Bad a$$ Bo raised 1,110 this period and spent $867 – almost most of that on a political consultant (Bo, Bo, Bo, you’re killing me, man) – and has a total of about $245 on hand right now.
  • Charles Busler: Did not turn in his paperwork.

District 10 (at large)
  • Bob Thomas: Former radio guy Bob Thomas is not playing around. You should have seen this guy’s turnout at his baloney sandwich kickoff! Thomas has raised almost $19k in folding paper and spent $1,170, for a rough total of $17,793. You can read the report right smack here. I do not expect Thomas to face a serious challenger.

District 11 (at large)
  •  Michele Carringer: the former county commissioner raised $10,160 this period but spent $2,308 for a total of $7,850. She also has $2,000 in outstanding loans. Her report right smack here.
  • Ed Brantley: Brantley, who partnered with Bob Thomas on their long-running hit morning radio program, has raised and spent a big goose egg at this point. THAT WILL CHANGE!

District Attorney General
  • Charme Knight: Knight has all but been appointed by the political community as the successor to Randy Nichols. Her information is actually located on the stat’s website. Records indicate that she has $116,800 on hand. Here is the July report and this is for January.

PUBLIC DEFENDER
  •  Mark Stephens: There’s no recent activity on the state’s site. That, too, will change. The incumbent is expected to run.

CIRCUIT COURT CLERK
  • Cathy Shanks (formerly Cathy Quist): She has $2,143 cash on hand, but didn’t raise anything this time around. The incumbent did spend $327 of the $2,470 she already had in the bank. Shanks also has $2,222 in outstanding loans.

COUNTY CLERK
  • Foster Arnett Jr: The Republican incumbent has $620 on hand. This period he spent $250 from the $870 he had in the bank. He’s expected to face former clerk and Democrat Mike Padgett, but there’s been no activity as of now on Padgett’s end and he hasn’t yet turned in his nominating petition. (And for all the talk I’m still not convinced Padgett is actually going to run.)

REGISTER OF DEEDS
  • Sherry Witt: The incumbent has just over $25,150 on hand. She raised $20,800 this period and spent almost $4,750. She started the period off with $9,100. Witt by the way is another fundraising machine. If she doesn’t get a challenger, she’ll probably hold steady, but if someone is crazy enough to think they can beat her, her campaign chest will skyrocket.

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