An earlier Advocate post estimated that it would take $100,000 to run a successful City Council race in East and Northeast Dallas. Right now the candidates are substantially short of that.
The May 9 City Council elections are approaching and election laws require candidates to file financial disclosure forms with the City Secretary’s office detailing how much campaign capital was raised, who it was raised from, how it was spent and what’s currently in the bank. You can check them out yourself at http://campfin.dallascityhall.com/ but here is some summary data. These filings cover the period from 1/1/15 through 3/31/15.
DISTRICT 10
Adam McGough
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $27,183
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $25,341
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $12,341
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $10,500
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 103
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 13
Fun fact: 29 contributors to McGough were from Nacogdoches, his hometown. Looks like he could be Mayor there.
Paul Reyes
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $31,740
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $37,537
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $12,492
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $2,000
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 90
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 9
Fun fact: John Corona, Alan Walne, Mike Baggett and Earle Nye all contributed. Erika Estrada was also a contributor. Looks like Reyes has the CHiP vote.
James White
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $10,010
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $2,215
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $7,474
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $0
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 43
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 4
Fun fact: City council races are non-partisan, but White received PAC contributions from North Dallas Texas Democratic Women and the Far North Dallas Democrats.
And here is how our neighbors District 9 candidates’ reports compare …
DISTRICT 9
Darren Boruff
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $19,460
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $21,456
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $8,398
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $5,000
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 45
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 11
Fun fact: Of the candidates running for District 9, Boruff had the largest percentage of contributors donating the maximum individual amount of $1,000.
Mark Clayton
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $19,090
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $6,313
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $33,939
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $9,600
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 75
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 4
Fun fact: Clayton had more money on hand at 3/31 than all of the other District 9 candidates combined.
Christopher Jackson
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $16,245
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $14,116
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $19,546
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $10,000
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 33
Individuals contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â Â 7
Fun fact: Only District 9 candidate to list Ferguson Road Initiative as a vendor for advertising expense.
Will Logg
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $0
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $1,987
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $0
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $0
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 0
Individuals Contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â 0
Fun fact: Logg appears to be self-financing his campaign. His expenditures include a nice tie from Stein Mart.
Sam Merten
Raised:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $4,892
Spent:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $6,597
In bank on 3/31:Â Â Â Â Â $5,656
Personal loans:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â $0
Total number of contributors: Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 16
Individuals Contributing maximum of $1,000:Â Â Â Â Â 3
Fun fact: Merten’s three $1,000 contributors are businessmen Gilbert Aranza and Tim Byrne along with Melanie Byrne. These three also contributed the same amount to Adam McGough’s campaign in District 10. Both Merten and McGough previously served on Mayor Rawlings staff.
Of the eight candidates in District 9 and 10, five have made personal loans to their campaigns. Each has an interest rate of zero.
An earlier Advocate post estimated that it would take $100,000 to run a successful City Council race in East and Northeast Dallas. Right now the candidates are substantially short of that. The next filing date is May 1 and will provide another financial snapshot just eight days before the May 9 election. Additionally, especially in District 9, there is a high probability of a run-off, extending the season to June 13 and the run-off candidates will be out raising campaign capital for another thirty days.