Leroy Brooks has outraised his opponent by a near 3-to-1 margin ahead of Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary.
Brooks, now the Lowndes County supervisor for District 5, reported $28,750 in fundraising in the mayor’s race since Jan. 1, according to campaign finance documents he filed with the city registrar’s office by Tuesday’s deadline. His opponent, Stephen Jones, raised only $11,405 in that period.
Candidates are required to file campaign finance reports periodically and itemize contributions and expenses in excess of $200. Only candidates in contested party primaries were required to report this period.
Brooks received $7,500 from Democratic-centered political action committees, including $5,000 from the Water Valley-based Save Our State PAC, $2,500 from the Atlanta-based Fair Fight PAC and $1,000 from the Bolton-based Mississippi PAC.
He also raised $3,000 from Greg Rader; $1,500 from Glenn Machine Company; $1,000 each from Fred Hall, Southern Forest, Waggoner Engineering and Williamson Electric; $500 each from BDM Industry, Century Funeral Home, William Cooper, Brian Gildea, Rhett Real Estate, Mark Smith, Gilbert Spencer, Teresa Thompson and Waide and Associates; $400 from DP Farms; $300 each from Sylvester Harris and Lowndes County Farm Supply; and $250 each from William Corder, Leroy Jones and James Nash; as well as $5,500 non-itemized.
Brooks has spent $22,400.88 and has $6,349.12 on hand.
Jones, the sitting Ward 5 councilman, self-funded $2,500 of his campaign and received another $500 from his wife, Stephanie Johnson Jones. Other contributions include $2,500 from Andrew Jenkins, $1,000 from Waggoner Engineering; $500 each from Dennis Erby and TC Express LLC; and $250 from Re/Max Partners, where Jones works as a Realtor. He reported $3,355 in non-itemized donations.
Jones has spent $10,981.25 and has $423.75 on hand.
Though not required to file a report this period, independent mayoral candidate Darren Leach reported raising $2,524 since Jan. 1. His contributions include $215 from Donel Briggs; $200 each from District Attorney Scott Colom and Ayad Taofik; and $1,909 non-itemized.
Leach has spent $2,065.53 and has $849.39 on hand.
Independent candidate Bill Strauss was not required to file a report.
Ward 1
Incumbent Democrat Ethel Stewart raised $2,340 during the filing period.
She received $500 from Regent Real Estate Group, $300 each from her husband Johnnie Stewart, Dennis and Linder Erby and Andy Stewart; and $940 non-itemized.
Stewart has spent $2,210.13, leaving her $129.87 on hand.
Her primary opponent, Tommie Smith, failed to file a campaign finance report by the deadline.
Mayor Keith Gaskin, an independent running for Ward 1 council, did file a report with $2,056.28 in contributions for his general election campaign. Those include $1,000 from SHTG LLC, $500 from Joseph and Carol Boggess and $556.28 non-itemized.
Gaskin has spent $500 and has $1,556.28 on hand.
Ward 2
Incumbent Democrat Joseph Mickens reported $3,800 in total fundraising but noted only $2,800 came since Jan. 1. Of that, $1,000 came from his own pocket.
He also reported receiving $500 each from attorney Jeff Smith and Waggoner Engineering; $400 from Andy Stewart; and $200 each from Willie Robinson and City Engineer Kevin Stafford.
He has spent $2,020.20 and has $1,780 on hand.
Of Mickens’ primary opponents, Roderick Smith has self-funded a $1,493 campaign, according to his report, spending all but $75.75. Laisha “Ms. She She” O’Neal filed a report that showed no fundraising or expenses.
No Republican or independent is running in Ward 2, meaning the Democratic primary winner will take the seat.
Ward 4
Former councilman Marty Turner has pumped 10 times the funds into his campaign as his Democratic primary opponent, spending $4,000 of the $4,500 he has raised.
Of that, $1,500 came from Turner’s own pocket, while Douglas, Lathan and Tavares Turner each gave $1,000.
His opponent Lavonne Harris reported only $400 in fundraising – $200 each from Currie Fisher and Johnathan West. She’s spent $334 and has $66 on hand.
The Democratic primary winner will face independent incumbent Pierre Beard and Republican Robert S. Johnson IV in the June 3 general election.
Ward 5
Democrat Gregory “Gary” Jefferson filed a report that showed no fundraising or expenses. Neither of his primary opponents, Sedrick Fenster or Cequeila Clark, filed a campaign finance report by the deadline.
The primary winner will face Republican Mary Beth Jeter in the general election.
Ward 6
In the Republican primary, Jason Spears leads his opponent Kimberly McCarty Davis by nearly double in fundraising. Most of Spears’ war chest is self-funded.
Spears reported $6,300 in contributions, including $4,000 from his own pocket. He also received $1,000 from Chris and Ann Buster; $250 each from John Bean and Henry C. Pilkinton IV; and $800 non-itemized.
He has spent $5,649.36 and has $650.64 on hand.
Davis has raised $3,088.49, but all of her itemized contributions come from outside the area. Those include $1,081.16 from Tommy Loftis of Atlanta, $1,000 from Browning Duffey of Plano, Texas, and $408.37 from Diane Jackson of Ridgeland.
The Republican winner will face independent Donald Pope in the general election.
Zack Plair is the managing editor for The Dispatch.
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