Daigre tops in fundraising for circuit clerk race

Published 2:52 pm Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Voters’ second choice for circuit clerk three years ago leads fundraising among five candidates for the office on next Tuesday’s ballot.

Campaign finance reports turned in Tuesday showed Jan Hyland Daigre, an insurance agent and former school board member, with $15,128.42 raised between Oct. 1 and Saturday. Daigre finished second to former clerk Shelly Ashley-Palmertree in a four-person race in 2011. All candidates faced a deadline Tuesday to turn in financial activity for the period.

Interim clerk Greg Peltz reported $7,455 in funds raised during the final round of reports due to the circuit clerk’s office before polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday. State law mandates local offices submit reports to county circuit clerks.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Robert Donohue, a former Vicksburg police officer, reported $4,567.97 raised for the period. A. Sharonda Taylor, a paralegal for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, showed $4,249 raised while John Shorter, chair of the Warren County Democratic Executive Committee, reported $1,000 raised.

Alone on Daigre’s list of donors are a $400 gift listed as “cash left under door at home” and a $1,880.17 contribution from herself. Spending totaled $7,577 for the year to date.

Peltz’s largest source of funds was from Ballerinas N Things, a downtown Vicksburg business owned by his daughter, Stephanie. A $2,000 donation is listed as such. Peltz has spent $2,247.34 to date, according to his report.

Reports for Donohue and Taylor show self-funded campaigns. Donahue’s contribution to himself was $2,707.97, while Taylor kicked in $874 to her effort. Shorter’s report did not detail his contributors. The three showed varying levels of cash on hand — Taylor with $2,159.58, Donohue with $611.09 and Shorter with $29.

Contests for circuit clerk, circuit judge and in Districts 3 and 4 on the Vicksburg Warren School District Board of Trustees head the list of local races on the general election ballot, the rest of which feature races for U.S. Senate and Congress. None of four candidates for school board submitted a finance report by Tuesday’s deadline. In those races are District 3 Trustee Jim Stirgus Jr., his challenger Dr. John Walls, District 4 Trustee Joe Loviza and his challenger, Katrina Johnson.

Circuit clerk and central district constable appear as nonpartisan special elections on Tuesday’s ballot. Interim constable Troy Kimble turned in a report by Tuesday’s deadline, while challenger Mario Grady, a former sheriff’s deputy, did not. Kimble reported $1,000 raised and $2,721.76 spent to date.

Ninth Circuit Court Judge M. James Chaney reported $26,793 raised and $21,449 spent for the season to date. The largest contribution this month was $400, from Dr. Daniel & Lori Edney, according to itemized listings in the report. His challenger, Eddie Woods, the justice court judge for Warren County’s Northern District, showed $15,696.98 and $15,695.64 spent for the year. His largest contributor for the period was Dr. David Fagan, listed with a $1,000 donation.

Chaney represents the 9th Circuit’s Subdistrict 2. The circuit’s senior judge, Isadore Patrick, and 9th Chancery Judge Vicki Roach Barnes, are unopposed this year.