The three Democrats running in Starkville’s mayoral race — Damion Poe, local attorney Johnny Moore and former city chief administrative officer Lynn Spruill — have raised a combined $80,000 in campaign contributions this year, but that figure lags behind how much their counterparts had raised by this time in 2013’s municipal race.
Tuesday was the deadline for mandatory, pre-primary filings from candidates seeking municipal office this election cycle.
Moore’s ($53,450) and Spruill’s ($25,405) intake makes up the lion’s share of mayoral campaign donations, while Poe rounds out the candidates with $1,180 in contributions for the year.
In comparison, records show the city’s three mayoral candidates in the 2013 municipal cycle — Mary Lee Beal, Dan Moreland and Parker Wiseman — reported a combined $93,195.99 in campaign funds by April 30. Moreland led the pack at this time in 2013 with $41,810 worth of contributions, but records show he loaned his campaign $31,500 of that total.
Of Johnny Moore’s total receipts, $50,740 are listed as itemized contributions — those from individuals or companies totaling more than $200 each. Moore, 56, has personally loaned his own campaign $35,740 since Jan. 1, while another $5,000 came from Starkvest LLC, a property-related company he disclosed as having a vested interest in with his recent statement of economic interest filing.
Other property-, construction- and development-related businesses also contributed to his campaign. Those local donations include Pritchard Engineering, led by County Engineer Clyde Pritchard ($400), and L&M Properties ($500), while out-of-town donors include the Tuscaloosa, Alabama-based Midtown Development LLC ($250), the Louisville, Colorado-based Enclave Properties ($500), the Nesbit-based Sky Lake Construction ($1,000) and Burns Dirt Construction of Columbus ($4,000).
The Burns Dirt Construction donation is later listed as a contribution refund on Moore’s disbursement sheet and noted as exceeding a limit.
Two local law firms — Brown and Langston PLLC ($250) and Vollor-Lang PA ($500) — gave to Moore’s campaign, while local businesses Advanced Collision Repair ($300) and Northeast Exterminating LLC ($1,000) also helped his cause.
Individuals listed as Moore’s itemized donors include contractor Michael Frayser ($250), retiree Clayton Richardson ($500), attorney Mark Williamson ($250) and Le Claire, Iowa-based Modern Woodman William Massey ($300).
Spruill
Of 64-year-old Spruill’s total contributions, $16,905 are listed as itemized donations. She did not report loaning her campaign any money this year, but an earlier campaign finance filing for 2016 stated $7,092.50 of the $8,742.20 she took in last year in preparation for the municipal race came from the candidate herself.
Her itemized list only contains one stand-alone business donation — a $500 receipt from the Pearl-based general contractor Copeland and Johns Inc. — while numerous individuals’ contributions are listed.
Those local individuals include Monica Jankun-Kelly, a lecturer in Mississippi State University’s computer science and engineering program ($2,000), and Harry and Ann Bell, of Bell Building Supply ($1,000), while out-of-town donors include retiree Sandy Ball, of Austin, Texas ($500); Joel and Toni Clements — Joel Clements serves as First State Bank president — of Waynesboro ($1,000); IBM employee Claudia Brind-Woody, of Meadows of Dan, Virginia ($1,000); Ridgeland resident William Buchanan, of Ross and Yerger Insurance ($500); retiree Zoe Griffith, of Austin, Texas ($500); retired Cadence Bank employee Frances Jutman, of Columbus ($1,000); retirees Judy Leonard and Laura Walling, of Grapeland, Texas ($500); Mike Nix, a self-employed engineer living in Owens Cross Roads, Alabama ($500); and Bill and Jane Smith — Bill Smith is a partner with the law firm Balch and Bingham LLP — of Jackson ($500).
Poe
Poe, 26, itemized all five donations that gave his campaign a combined $1,180. Those receipts include: Timothy Hinton, a county resident who is listed as a sales manager with Tractor Supply ($250); Aniyah Armstead, a county resident who is a student ($100); Annese Jordan, a United States Postal Service worker ($30); Luther Williams III, a Southwest Airlines pilot with no address provided ($500); and $300 from an anonymous donor.
The entry for the anonymous donation shows a $200 receipt in March and a $100 gift in April, and lists the donor’s employer as Vintage Tattoo. Disclosure forms require candidates identify people or companies that give more than $200 in cumulative donations.
Expenses
All three mayoral candidates reported spending almost as much as they received since Jan. 1.
Moore’s filing shows he has spent $46,798.17 on his election bid so far, of which $46,653.93 was detailed in an itemized list. He has $6,651.83 remaining in his war chest, his filing states.
Spruill reported spending $24,608.04 on her campaign this year, of which all but $637.31 was documented by her itemized filing. She reports having $5,344.63 on hand for the rest of the campaign.
Both candidates have spent most of their campaign funds on advertising and consulting.
Poe’s filling reports the first-time candidate spent $830.50 this year. The one expenditure noted in the itemized list is a $530.52 payment to Pollan Promos for yard signs.
Poe did not fill in the space disclosing how much cash he has on hand for the remainder of the election cycle.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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