Skip to content
Sections
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
Dispatch Mobile Logo
Share
Subscribe
Login
August 9, 2022
  • QUICK LINKS
  • Obituaries
  • eEdition
  • Popular Content
  • Submit a Tip
  • News
  • Columbus & Lowndes County
  • Starkville & Oktibbeha County
  • West Point & Clay County
  • Area
  • State
  • National
  • Business
  • Sports
  • High School Sports
  • College Sports
  • Local Columns
  • eEdition
  • Opinions
  • Local Columns
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Roses & Thorns
  • Dispatch Editorials
  • Obituaries
  • Lifestyles
  • Columns
  • Entertainment
  • Food
  • Transitions & Announcements
  • Community
  • Religion
  • Classifieds
  • Photo Galleries
  • Public Records
  • Building Permits
  • Marriages & Divorces
August 9, 2022
Dispatch Logo

Open eyes, open minds.

Home » News » More than $64K raised in Columbus mayoral race

More than $64K raised in Columbus mayoral race

Sistrunk, Brooks raise most money headed to Starkville's general election

By Isabelle Altman and Zack Plair/ialtman@cdispatch.com; zplair@cdispatch.com • June 3, 2021

 • 7 mins to read

More than $64K raised in Columbus mayoral race
Keith Gaskin

More than $64,000 has poured into the Columbus mayoral race, according to campaign finance reports turned in to the City Registrar’s Office as of Wednesday.

Independent candidate Keith Gaskin outraised his competitor, Democratic incumbent Robert Smith, by nearly $18,000. Independent candidate Montrell Coburn did not turn in a campaign finance report by Wednesday.

Opposed candidates for the general election were required to file campaign finance reports by Tuesday. They must itemize, or list, all contributions or expenses of more than $200.

Gaskin raised a total of $41,237.83 and spent $31,686.03, leaving him with $9,551.80 on hand.

Of his contributions, $24,397.38 were non-itemized. The highest of those itemized was from his campaign manager, Bennett Windham, who donated $1,200. His campaign also received $1,000 each from Patricia Curtis, Andrew Orr, Clifton Scott and Pelican LLC on Greenbriar Drive; $750 from George/Marian Hazard; $600 from John Beard; $500 each from Lindsay Clemons, Harvey Myrick, Thelma Pugh, Tillman Rodabough, Leigh Imes, William Walker, Andrew/Anna Benton of Caledonia, Roger Burlingame, Jerry Fortenberry, John Frazier and Clyde Rhea; $400 from V Lane Pierrot; $300 each from David Ivy of Marietta, Georgia, Wanda McIntyre, Carol Boggess, Nicole/Doug Bateman, Dr. J/Lee Ann Starr, Penni Rhett, Martha Kirkley and Theresa Thompson; $250 each from Scott Hannon, Alison Alexander, Tim Perkins, Scott/Allyson Jones, Mark/Kathy Novotny, Richard Johnston, Ann Thames and downtown business The Bride and Groom.

Robert Smith

Smith, on the other hand, raised a total of $23,401, all of it itemized. He spent $14,621.87, leaving him with $8,779.13 on hand.
Smith contributed $10,000 to his own campaign. He also received $6,000 from Jabari Edwards, owner of J5, which the city uses as its project management firm, and $1,000 from Neel-Schaffer, which the city uses as its engineering firm.

Additionally, he received $1,000 each from Mack A. Smith and the Highway 45 convenience store Cal-Kola Inc.; $501 from Mack Patel; $500 each from Sandeep K. Sethi of Canton, Stephen C. Edds of Ridgeland, McNeil Rhoads LLC, Lorene Jamison, Jon/Sue Fairbank of Jackson and Andy’s Heating and Cooling; $300 each from George/Shelia Cain, Burt Richardson and Chester Leigh.

In the Ward 1 race, independent Kallie Phillips outraised Democratic incumbent Ethel Stewart by roughly $5,000.

Phillips reported receiving $6,991 in contributions, $6,191 of which she listed as non-itemized. She has spent $5,614.54, leaving her with $1,376.46 on hand. She received $500 from John Bean and $300 from Julia Phillips.

Stewart reported raising only $500 in the most recent campaign period. Because she faced fellow Democrat Tommy Jackson in the April primary, she had to turn in another report in March, at which time she reported receiving $1,350 in contributions, bringing her year-to-date total to $1,850. As of this last period, she spent $1,831.02, meaning she spent $1,331.02 of her own money.

The $500 she received in contributions was from United Steel Workers District No. 9 in Gardendale, Alabama, according to her finance report.

In the Ward 3 race, Democrat Sally Brown Tate outraised Republican Rusty Greene by $5,130.

Tate reported receiving $9,965, of which $5,050 were in non-itemized contributions. She spent $9,814.67 and reports having $1,702.33 on hand, meaning she contributed $1,552 to her own campaign, which she did not list in the report.

Tate received $700 each from Columbus Light and Water board member Michael Tate and Corky Smith, who is the son of CLW board attorney Jeff Smith. She also received $470 each from Johnathan West and Marcus West, co-owners of Carter’s Funeral Home; $400 from Andy Stewart; $300 from Linda Jones; $275 from Robert Woodard; $200 each from Velma Woodard, Valerie Jackson, Donald Pritchard, Barney/Luberta Tate, Chuck Easley, Jeremy/Kinetra Grant, Jackie Stennis and Tradayia Jones.

Greene raised $4,835, of which $3,085 was non-itemized. He spent more than he raised, at $4,852.43, none of which was itemized. He reports having $534.35 on hand.

Greene received $500 each from John T. Bean III, Bernard W. Bean and Mississippi Realtors Association, as well as $250 from Gay G. McCrary.

Independent Kori Bridges did not turn in a campaign finance report by Wednesday.

In the Ward 4 race, independent incumbent Pierre Beard Sr. reports raising $650 more than his Democratic challenger, former Ward 4 councilman Marty Turner. However, Beard has also spent more and has no cash on hand.

Beard reported receiving $1,950, all in non-itemized contributions. He has spent $2,341, meaning he would have spent $391 of his own money.

Turner has raised $1,300 during this campaign period — all itemized — and spent $1,201, leaving him with $99. Like Stewart, he ran in the Democratic primary and reported raising $1,036, meaning he has raised $2,336 in contributions for this race.

According to his most recent report, Turner received $1,000 from Lathan Turner and $300 from Douglas T. Turner of Jacksonville, Florida.

newsletter

The Dispatch delivers the most in-depth, responsible journalism straight to your inbox. Sign up here.

The general election will be Tuesday.

Starkville
Ward 2 Democratic incumbent alderman Sandra Sistrunk boasts the most campaign contributions this cycle, though she is providing most of her own funding.

Sandra Sistrunk

Sistrunk has reported a total $13,999.26 in contributions in 2021, including $3,340.50 during the general election filing period. She has spent $11,456.49 and has $2,542.77 on hand.

Overall she has funded her own campaign to the tune of $9,864.26, with $3,385 in non-itemized contributions. Her only itemized contributions from third parties are $500 from Jim Mozingo and $250 from Richard Corey.

By contrast, her Republican challenger Brice Stubbs reported $5,775 in contributions, including $2,975 non-itemized. Those itemized include $500 each from Donald Ellis, Huxford Consulting, Welch Entertainment and Jimmy Joe Buckley, who ran against Sistrunk in the Democratic primary.

In the general election filing period, Buckley gave a $1,500 total to three general election candidates, all Republicans.
Stubbs received $300 from the Oktibbeha County Republican Party and gave $500 to his own campaign. He has spent $4,049.73 and has $1,725.27 on hand.

Mike Brooks

Democrat Mike Brooks has almost tripled Republican Kevin Daniels’ fundraising in the Ward 4 race.

Brooks has reported a total of $13,525 in contributions, including $6,015 non-itemized. Of his itemized contributions, he received $500 each from Charles E. Morgan Construction Company and the MARPAC political action committee; $300 from George Sherman and $250 from Bulldog Tire this filing period. In the previous filing period, he reported Castle Properties gave $500; Henry C. Pilkinton and Byrum Construction each gave $300; and 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 $8,234.87 and has $1,003.67 on hand.

Daniels has raised $5,004.63, including $1,304.63 non-itemized. Of those itemized, he received $2,500 from Craig Campbell of Stephens Group in Little Rock, Arkansas; $500 from Huxford Consulting; $300 from Frank Chiles; and he contributed $400 himself.
He has spent $4,465.99 and has $538.64 on hand.

In the Ward 1 alderman race, Republican incumbent Ben Carver holds a slight fundraising advantage over his Democratic opponent Christine Williams.

Carver reported raising $7,885, including $4,310 non-itemized. Of his itemized contributions, he received $1,000 from Huxford Consulting; $500 each from Robert Rogers, Mark Castleberry and Jimmy Joe Buckley; $300 each from the Oktibbeha County Republican Party and Mark Welch; $250 from David Buchanan; and $225 from Phil Griffin of Murfreesboro, Tennessee-based Griffin Strategies. The campaign also spent $785 with Griffin Strategies.

Overall, Carver reported $7,885 in expenditures, including $2,172.78 non-itemized, leaving him with no cash on hand.

Williams reported $7,151.14 in fundraising, with her only itemized contribution being $300 from Monika Jankun-Kelly. She reported $6,851.14 in non-itemized contributions. She has spent $4,846.61, leaving her with $2,502.53 on hand.

In Ward 5, Republican Anna Chaney has outraised Democratic incumbent Hamp Beatty.

Chaney reported $3,615.33 in contributions, all but $300 itemized. She received $500 each from Huxford Consulting and Jimmy Joe Buckley; $300 from the Oktibbeha County Republican Party and $250 from Starkville Home Team Realtors.

In her pre-primary finance report, Chaney reported an additional $1,765.33 in non-itemized contributions.

She has spent $2,788.12 and has $827.21 on hand.

Beatty reported $2,125 in total contributions, all non-itemized, and $2,460.21 in spending.

Conflict disclosure: Managing Editor Zack Plair took part in editing this article. He is currently in legal proceedings that involve the city of Columbus. Details are available in previous reporting.

You can help your community

Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.

Subscribe

READER FAVORITES

  • LCSD proposed $29.4M budget would cause tax hike

    By Jessica Lindsey • 1 day ago

  • Monday Profile: Adeline Rollins’ recovery from liver transplant surgery has been remarkable

    By Slim Smith • 1 day ago

  • Board mum after closed-door discussion of Labat’s job

    By Jessica Lindsey • 4 hours ago

  • Alexander will not seek new term on CRA board

    By Brian Jones • 4 hours ago

Popular

LCSD proposed $29.4M budget would cause tax hike

August 8, 2022

Monday Profile: Adeline Rollins’ recovery from liver transplant surgery has been remarkable

August 8, 2022

Starkville’s run in Little League Southwest Regional ends with walk-off loss

August 8, 2022

Other editors: The IRS is about to go ‘beast mode’

August 8, 2022




On This Day 2021

J. Martin Tucker: Why now is the time to get vaccinated

J. Martin Tucker: Why now is the time to get vaccinated

By J. Martin Tucker

Featured Podcast

The C Dispatch Podcast

Dispatch

Sections

  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Lifestyles
  • Obituaries

Info

  • About
  • Contact
  • Submit a Tip
  • Terms & Service
  • Popular Content

Contact

Main Switchboard:

(662) 328-2424

Physical Address:

516 Main Street
Columbus, MS 39701

Mailing Address:

PO Box 511
Columbus, MS 39701

cdispatch.com © 2022 – The Commerical Dispatch

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT