Campaign finance reports for the year ending 31 December 2015 were due into the Department of Elections by 20 January 2016, so let’s take a look at what those reports might tell us about the race for Mayor of Wilmington:
Dennis Williams (incumbent)
Williams started with about $2200.00 in the bank and ended up with $23,000, including a $3K loan from someone in Mendenhall. Subtracting the starting balance and that eccentric loan, Williams has raised $17,800. By this point in Jim Baker’s last Mayoral run (2007), he had raised almost $20,462. His expenditures to date are $5200.00, including paying back the $3K loan. You figure that the funds raised here are the low-hanging fruit for Williams and from here on in, it will be interesting to see where the checks come from. If you listen to the business community, they are done with this guy, but then there will be more than a few of these folks who will write a check just as insurance.
Theo Gregory
Gregory raised about $16,7000 — including transferring about $2,000.00 from his City Council President committee. This also includes about 575.00 of in-kind contributions from Theo and $1,750.00 loan he provided to the campaign. He also had more than $12,000 in expenditures which is remarkable at this stage (looks like mostly expenditures for fundraising), leaving him with a $4K balance. To me, this isn’t a great start. And spending most of your funds right out of the gate doesn’t speak well for Gregory’s financial management skills.
Eugene Young
Raised $22,244.79 in cash and in-kind (less than $1,500.00) for the year. Has $17,000.00 after expenditures. If you subtract Williams’ starting balance and that eccentric loan, Eugene out-raised Williams for this year. In addition, there is $56K in The Young Movement PAC — designed to help young people run for office in the city. Eugene was the primary fundraiser for this PAC until he filed for office. Now others are working at fundraising. That’s $80K he’s raised over the year — no loans. An impressive haul for someone who was widely expected to not be able to raise any money.
Norm Griffiths
Griffiths raised about $22,300.00, which includes a $12,812 loan (about half spent on a fundraiser) he’s provided to the campaign. That means he’s raised about $9500.00 in direct contributions. He spent about $8500 of that leaving him with $13,813.06.
Kevin Kelley
Raised $2400.00, including a $100.00 loan from Kelley to the campaign. He’s had expenditures of $160.00, leaving him with $2,332.66. Kevin focuses on fundraising well after the first of the year start of an election season. Still, this time in 2012, Kevin had raised $15K and had a $12.5K balance.
Mike Purzycki
Raised $76,400.00, including a $50K loan from Purzycki to his campaign. He’s had expenditures of $70,390.81, including a direct payment of $50,000 to Purzycki, leaving him with $6K on hand. This is an odd report — starting with the $50K payment to Purzycki (what *is* that about, anyway?), and including a big expenditure for what looks like office space. The $50K he paid himself is the big question here — it is certainly unusual to pay yourself and I can’t think of why he would do this, leaving such a small amount on hand. Unless, of course, he has Dennis Williams’ skills with a spreadsheet. Or he’s just greedy. Purzycki could certainly loan himself more money, which would start to look like he was trying to buy this office.
Bobby Marshall
Raised $155.00 and the report shows that he spent $28.00 of that. Really? Really? I’d bet that the story here is Marshall waiting to review these reports himself to know how much to loan himself to run. Making him one more candidate looking to buy his way into office.
Other rumored candidates — Scott Spencer, Robert Bovell, Maria Cabrera, Matthew Meyer– have not filed finance reports for the Office of Mayor.
Both Eugene Young and Mike Purzycki are doing very well in raising direct contributions and both out raised Dennis Williams in direct funds. Purzycki could always loan himself more money, but Eugene is doing old-fashioned fundraising and old-fashioned door knocking. Right now, there’s almost $160K raised (including loans) by this group to run for Mayor. That’s alot of money for Wilmington and a reflection of the weakness of the incumbent, the energy for change and the easy play of the odds for someone who wants to be Mayor of Wilmington right now. There’s going to be even more money thoughout the year, which I suspect will make this the most expensive race for Mayor in Wilmington’s history.