Municipal campaign finance reports show 15 Starkville alderman and mayoral candidates raised a combined $107,772.74 in contributions by April 30.
All but one candidate, Ward 6 Alderman Henry Vaughn, filed receipts and disbursements reports with the city required by the Secretary of State’s office by Tuesday’s deadline, a city official said.
Another candidate, Ward 2 Democrat Lisa Wynn, first filed her report Tuesday with the city but then filed an amended version on Wednesday. The April 30 report, which was both stamped “received” and signed by her that day, claims she received and spent $200 in non-itemized transactions. The report received May 1 by the city was dated April 29 by Wynn. That report shows she received $750 in contributions — $150 itemized, $600 non-itemized – and spent the same amount with the same itemized/non-itemized breakdown.
The contributions total includes Wynn’s official $200 filing, not the late $750 claim.
Failure to submit valid reports or meet statutory deadlines results in fines of $50 per day or prosecution, the form states. Pamela Weaver, a spokesperson for Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann’s office, said candidates must file proper reports before assuming office if elected.
The city’s three mayoral candidates – Mayor Parker Wiseman, Mary Lee Beal and Dan Moreland – reported a combined $93,195.99 in contributions.
Moreland led the trio with $41,810 worth of contributions, but records show he loaned his campaign $31,500 over five transactions. As of Tuesday, Moreland was last in campaign spending by the three mayoral candidates. Records show he spent $19,637.16 in itemized and non-itemized transactions, including $10,353.22 for printing and $4,602.88 in salary for campaign manager Ricky Bishop.
Wiseman was the second-highest mayoral candidate in terms of campaign contributions. Records show he collected $28,837 and spent a majority of his disbursements — $17,358.42 – on consultant fees and services. In all, Wiseman spent $19,830.74 by Tuesday.
Beal brought in $22,548.99 by April 30, $9,500 of which was loaned to her campaign by John Beal Jr. She spent a majority of her $21,562.87 worth of disbursements on political consulting. Records show she spent $14,777.52 on those services by April 30.
The 11 filing alderman candidates raised $14,576.75 in campaign contributions, records show.
Ward 3’s race was the highest grossing in terms of campaign contributions as incumbent Eric Parker and challenger David Little, both Republicans, raised a combined $5,323. Little led Parker in both contributions — $3,152 to $2,171 – and expenditures — $2,598.37 to $1,870.
The next highest-grossing race in terms of contributions, the Ward 6 Democratic primary battle between incumbent Roy A. Perkins and Lerin Pruitt, saw its two candidates pull in a combined $3,295.
Perkins reported $1,025 worth of non-itemized contributions and $1,021.41 of itemized disbursements so far this campaign, while documents show Pruitt had more expenditures — $3,514.28 – than his $2,277 worth of contributions.
Janette Self, a former alderman running for Ward 7’s seat, reported $2,287 in contributions and $2,154.49 in disbursements.
Democrats John Gaskin and Jason Walker reported a combined $3,004.83 in contributions for their Ward 4 campaigns. Walker filed documents showing he collected $1,930 and spent $1,242, while the same form shows Gaskin received $1,074l83 and disbursed $872.82. Documents show Gaskin’s sole itemized contribution was a $419.36 donation to his own campaign.
Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk reported receiving and spending $416.92 this campaign season. A hand-written note on her campaign filing report states she made the decision not to accept contributions and is self-funding her election efforts. When totaled with Wynn’s official filing, the two candidates raised a combined $616.92. If Sistrunk’s total is added to Wynn’s late filing, that combined total jumps to $1,166.92.
Ward 1 Alderman and incoming Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard wrapped up their campaigns early after no challengers emerged in either Republican’s race. Carver reported no receipts or expenditures, while Maynard’s documents show he raised $50.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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