By the time Columbus municipal candidates in competitive primary races turned in their first campaign finance reports Tuesday afternoon, nearly $5,500 had been raised in the Ward 6 election alone.
Candidates for municipal races running in party primaries on April 6 were required to file campaign finance primary pre-election reports by 5 p.m. Tuesday. Those reports must include the totals a candidate took in and spent, as well as itemize, or identify, each contribution or disbursement of more than $200. Those $200 or less can be considered non-itemized and are not required to be identified.
In Ward 6, Republican Jacqueline DiCicco outraised incumbent Bill Gavin by more than $2,000, with $3,825.01 in contributions, $2,725.01 of which were non-itemized. Her itemized contributions include $500 from Stacy and Heather Madison; $350 from Marian Hazard; and $250 from Ruth Berry.
DiCicco has spent $2,506.76, leaving her with $1,318.25 on hand.
Gavin listed $1,640 in total contributions, including $1,000 from Gregg Rader Investments in Columbus. The remaining $640 came from his own pocket.
He has spent a total of $994.65, leaving him with $645.35.
There are no Democrats or independent candidates in the race, meaning whichever candidate wins the primary will represent Ward 6 on the council.
In Ward 1, incumbent Democrat Ethel Taylor Stewart outraised her opponent, Tommy Jackson, listing $1,350 in contributions, all of which she itemized. She received $500 from United Steel Workers Dist. No. 1 in Alabama; $400 from Jabari Edwards; $250 from James Samuel; and $200 from Tompkins Law Firm.
However, Stewart has spent $2,609.58, meaning she funded more than $1,000 of her own campaign. While the bulk of the money went to businesses for advertisements and campaign materials, Stewart also reports paying individuals Tashaun Phillips and Annie Berry $650 each for “political literature Distribution + Advertisement” and “political + administrative work” respectively.
Stewart told The Dispatch that both Phillips and Berry had spent time and gas money putting up signs and going door to door campaigning for her.
Stewart also reports having $209.69 on hand.
Jackson reported raising $750. He received $300 from Jabari Edwards, $250 from Andy Stewart and $200 from Carter Funeral Home.
Jackson also gave money to individuals, including $200 to Montrel Cunningham and $100 to Grace Brown for “political distribution.” Jackson did not respond to a call from The Dispatch about those payments.
The winner of the Ward 1 primary will face independent candidate Kallie Phillips in the general election in June.
In Ward 4, Democrat Marty Turner has significantly outraised and outspent his opponent Pat Douglas.
Turner has raised $1,036, $836 of which he listed under non-itemized distributions. He listed $200 from Andy Stewart, who also gave money to Jackson’s campaign, as his only itemized contribution. Turner has spent all his money.
Douglas reported raising only $65. Though not legally required to itemize contributions that small, she listed $40 from Willie Jones and $25 from Michael Larry.
She has spent $145 and has no cash on hand.
The winner of the Ward 4 Democratic primary will face off against incumbent Pierre Beard, who is running as an independent, in the general election.
Ward 2 Councilman Joseph Mickens and Ward 5 Councilman Stephen Jones are both running unopposed and were not required to report their finances by Tuesday’s deadline.
Candidates who will not run in the April 6 primary are not required to fill out campaign finance reports until June 1. Those include mayoral candidates Democrat Mayor Robert Smith and his independent challengers Keith Gaskin and Montrell Coburn; Phillips in Ward 1; Ward 3 candidates Republican Rusty Greene, Democrat Sally Brown Tate and independent Kori Bridges; and Beard in Ward 4.
Starkville
More than $20,000 has poured in for candidates running in the Democratic primary for Ward 2 alderman.
Incumbent Sandra Sistrunk has outraised challenger Jimmy Joe Buckley by a mere $258.76, according to campaign finance reports filed by Tuesday’s deadline. However, most of that came from her own pocket.
Sistrunk reported $10,568.76 in contributions, with $2,335 not itemized. She’s given $8,073.76 to her campaign, with $250 from Richard Corey listed as her only other itemized contribution.
She has spent $8,398.36, leaving her with $2,260.40 on hand.
Buckley has raised $10,310, which includes $6,860 in non-itemized donations. His itemized donors include Starkville Cafe, Dogpound Printing and Tasha Massey, $500 each; Hester Concrete, $300; Shelton Jones, Parker Prisock, Margaret Prisock and Bulldog Tire, $250 each; George Sherman Inc. and Maroon and White Realty, $200 each. Buckley has also contributed $250 to his own campaign.
He has spent $8,245.94 and has $2,064.06 on hand.
The winner of the Ward 2 primary will face Republican Brice Stubbs in the general election.
In Ward 4, Kevin Daniels reported $3,009.26 in receipts for his Republican primary race, all of which are itemized. His contributions include $2,500 from Craig Campbell; $150 from Greg Chiles; $100 each from Lee J. Howard, Paul McMillan and Jason Young; and $59.20 from Emily Daniels.
Daniels has spent $1,368 and has $1,641.26 on hand.
His Republican opponent, Austin Check, reported $2,728.88 in receipts, with $550 not itemized.
Check has given $1,678.68 to his own campaign, with $500 from Lisa Marshall listed as his only other itemized contribution.
The Republican winner will face Democrat Mike Brooks in the general election. He reported $7,660 in receipts, with $1,700 not itemized. Of those itemized, Castle Properties gave $500. Henry C. Pilkinton and Byrum Construction each gave $300. Mr. and Mrs. Henry C. Bell III, Bertram S. Mortimer and Richardson Rental Properties donated $250 each. Brooks also loaned $4,110 of his own to his campaign.
Brooks has spent $4,286.46 and has $3,373.54 on hand.
In the Republican primary for Ward 5 alderman, Brady Hindman’s fundraising is dwarfing that of Anna Chaney.
Hindman reported $8,923 in contributions, including $2,323 not itemized. Of those itemized, he received $1,000 from Francis Lee; $500 each from Steven Warren and Eugene Imes; $300 from Clayton Richardson; $250 each from Nick Fulton and Adventure ATV LLC; and $200 each from Starkville Cafe, Michael Goode and John McReynolds. On his report, Hindman erroneously listed Imes, uncle of Dispatch Publisher Peter Imes, as an owner of The Dispatch. However, Eugene Imes does not have an ownership stake in the paper.
Hindman’s businesses — Commodore Bob’s Yacht Club and Commodore Bob’s Bottle Shop — contributed a total of $3,200 to his campaign. He has spent $8,450 and has $473 on hand.
Chaney reported $1,765.33 in contributions, all non-itemized. She has spent $1,465.33 and has $300 on hand.
The primary winner will face Democrat incumbent Hamp Beatty in the general election.
In Ward 6, Democratic challenger Santee Ezell has outraised incumbent Roy A. Perkins. She reported $2,119 in itemized contributions, but her form only lists a $500 donation from Leslie Fye.
Ezell has spent $1,265 and has $854 on hand.
Perkins reported $1,318.13 in receipts, with $299.90 not itemized. He’s received $500 from Charles D. Easley Jr. and contributed $518.23 of his own. He’s spent $711.63 and has $606.50 on hand.
No Republican is running in Ward 6, meaning the primary winner takes the seat.
Beatty, along with Republican incumbent Ben Carver and Democrat Christine Williams — both running in Ward 1 — must submit reports by June 1.
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