Mayoral campaign finance reports show Rawlings in fourth place|[4/28/05]
Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 28, 2005
Mayoral candidate Eric Rawlings submitted his campaign income and spending paperwork Wednesday to the City Clerk’s Office a day after it was due. Alderman candidate Michael Mayfield turned in his report this morning.
Out of the 10 candidates required to file reports, two others, Democratic hopefuls John Ferguson and DaVon Grey, missed the deadline and had not filed as of 8 a.m. today.
Financial statements for Rawlings, who said he was taking final exams Tuesday, show he has about twice the funding he had four years ago when he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination against then incumbent Mayor Robert Walker. Those reports also indicate he has raised only about half as much, but beefed up his totals with his own money.
According to reports, Rawlings, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor, has raised $3,500 and spent $2,125. Those figures include $2,500 of his own money.
That put Rawlings in fourth place in terms of campaign fund-raising behind incumbent Mayor Laurence Leyens who has $72,000 in his re-election war chest, Warren County District 3 Supervisor Charles Selmon with $8,950 and first-time office-seeker John Shorter who has $4,500.
Selmon and Shorter have also used substantial amounts of their own money to fund their campaigns, according to reports submitted Tuesday.
Rawlings, 42, will appear on the Democratic primary ballots next week along with Ferguson, 63; Selmon, 44, and Shorter, 38. If none of them gets a majority of the votes a runoff will be May 17.
The winner will advance to the June 7 general election to face Republican Shirley Newman Smollen, 69, and independent candidates Leyens, 40, and former Mayor Joe Loviza, 65.
Republicans who will be unchallenged in Tuesday’s primary election and independent candidates are required to submit financial statements on May 31. Leyens was required to file this week because his re-election committee is, although not required, registered as a political committee with the state.
Reports submitted by Mayfield also show family contributions making up about half of his $7,300 raised ahead of Tuesday’s primary election. He has also spent about $6,043.
That puts Mayfield in the middle in the North Ward alderman’s race behind the incumbent, Gertrude Young, who has raised $18,741, and Rodney Dillamar who has $1,020.
Mayfield, 47, the Warren County District 2 supervisor for nine years, will face Young, 49, who is seeking her fourth term, and Dillamar, 45, who is making his third try.
Independent candidates in that race are city employee Vickie Bailey, 37, and construction worker Tommie Rawlings, 42. The Republican in that race is Carl Yelverton, 58, a security guard at a local casino.
In the South Ward, Grey, 46, and Pam Johnson, 39, are seeking the nomination on next week’s Democratic ballots. The winner will advance to face incumbent Sid Beauman, 57, a Republican seeking his second term, in the general election.
State law sets a penalty of $50 per day after the 10th day for failing to submit financial statements. Failing to file that paperwork does not keep candidates out of the race, but until they turn it in they cannot be certified as winners or take office.