The June 6 General Election will be held next Tuesday, but this Tuesday represented the filing deadline for pre-election campaign finance reports for all candidates on the ballot.
Tuesday marked the last deadline for 2017, with the next benchmark filing date set for Jan. 31, 2018, which will see candidates file annual reports.
Three Board of Aldermen races have already been decided, with no challengers stepping up to run against Republican Ward 3 Alderman David Little and Democratic Vice Mayor and Ward 6 Alderman Roy A’. Perkins.
The Ward 5 race - which only featured Democrats on the ballot - saw Patrick Miller defeat Kayla Gilmore, giving Democrats control of Ward 5 after Republican Ward 5 Alderman Scott Maynard chose not to seek re-election.
Candidates that did not file by the Tuesday deadline will not be certified as a winner until all documents have been filed.
COUNTY GOP
The Oktibbeha County Republican Executive Committee reported $10,222.62 cash in hand during the reporting period, with no contributions or disbursements reported.
MAYORAL RACE:
The race for Starkville’s highest office saw the most money doled out among municipal campaigns, with candidates spending thousands in advertising dollars to make their case to voters.
While Democrat Lynn Spruill managed to edge out Democratic challenger Johnny Moore by six votes, both candidates spent big, with Spruill shelling out $17,911.24 for the reporting period covering May 7 through May 27.
In terms of Spruill’s largest payouts to date, the former chief administrative officer for the city of Starkville focused on advertising. To date, campaign finance reports show Spruill spent $6,025 for advertising with Urban Radio Broadcast, $2,228.28 with Allmond Printing, $8,556.99 with Political Sourcing Group, $7,811.50 with WCBI and $3,270 with Cumulus Broadcasting.
Spruill’s largest contribution came from her own pocket, kicking in $28,667 to her own coffers during the latest reporting period. She also received $1,000 from CEO Richard Adkerson of Freeport-McMoran Cooper & Gold Inc. in Phoenix, Arizona.
For the calendar year-to-date, Spruill managed to net $60,372 in contributions and spent $59,390.57.
On the April 25 filing deadline, Moore reported contributions totaling $53,450, with the largest contribution coming from a $30,000 loan from the candidate himself. However, only candidates that will be on the ticket next Tuesday were required to file by the May 30 deadline.
WARD 1 ALDERMAN
Following a tightly contested Republican Primary, Incumbent Alderman Ben Carver defeated Republican challenger Jason Camp and will face Democrat Christine Williams next week in the June 6 General Election.
During the latest reporting period, Carver received $1,200 in non-itemized contributions and spent it all in his bid for a third term. For the calendar year-to-date, Carver has raised $5,930.
For candidates who filed a primary pre-election campaign finance report, the reporting period for the Pre-Election Report ahead of the General Election covers April 23 through May 6.
Williams has raised $4,080.93 during the calendar year-to-date, receiving $1,448.93 in non-itemized contributions during the latest reporting period. She will also head into the General Election on Tuesday with cash-in-hand totaling $2,280.05.
WARD 2 ALDERMAN
The three-candidate race for Ward 2 promises to be a tight one, with Independent incumbent Lisa Wynn taking on former Ward 2 Alderman and Democrat Sandra Sistrunk and Republican Jesse Carver, the brother of Ward 1 Alderman Ben Carver.
Wynn topped the field in terms of contributions and disbursements, receiving $6,517 in itemized contributions and $2,463 in payouts. She previously told the SDN she chose to run as an Independent as a campaign cost-saving measure.
Eupora-based Gladney Construction kicked in $1,000 to the incumbent’s re-election bid, along with a $1,000 contribution from MC and J Investment, LLC, of West Point and $1,000 from LMK Enterprise in Collierville, Tennessee.
While Wynn may be the biggest spender in the Ward 2 contest, Sistrunk has held the office before and looks to reclaim the seat with $3,259 in contributions for the calendar year-to-date. Sistrunk reported spending $4,250.83 during the latest reporting period.
Sistrunk focused her funds on advertising, spending $760 with Urban Radio Broadcasting and $420 with Cumulus Broadcasting.
Republican Jesse Carver reported $1,000 in contributions during the reporting period and paid out $598.28. The former MSU baseball pitcher had just one reported payout of $598.28 to Pollan & Associates for signs and magnets.
WARD 4 ALDERMAN
Democratic Incumbent Jason Walker will face off Tuesday against Republican local business owner Pete Ledlow.
Walker has raised $2,000 for the calendar year-to-date, spending $1,096.85 toward his re-election bid. Walker’s largest payout was addressed to Russ Gellar of Tampa, Florida, in the amount of $750 for social media. The highest contribution for the incumbent came from Camp Brothers Real Estate, LLC, totaling $500.
Ledlow reported a similar contribution total, receiving $1,975 for the calendar year-to-date - with $1,000 listed as itemized.
On the spending front, Ledlow shelled out $903.50 during the latest reporting period. For the aggregate year-to-date, Ledlow primary focused on tangible advertising, spending $903.50 on printing cards and signs from Starkville-based Pollan Promos.
The brunt of Ledlow’s contributions came from his own pocket, with two $500 itemized contributions going into his election coffers.
WARD 7 ALDERMAN
The Ward 7 race will see Democratic incumbent Henry N. Vaughn, Sr., look to claim another term against MSU senior pilot Roben Dawkins, a Republican.
Vaughn, who first took office in 2009, did not file his pre-election campaign finance report before the 5 p.m. deadline Tuesday.
Dawkins, however, raised $1,621. 26 for the calendar year-to-date, while spending a total of $1,229.36 during the latest reporting period. Dawkins' itemized contributions came from his own pocket, kicking in $1,421.36 to his own campaign.