CITYWIDE — City Council candidates have spent more than $375,000 on their campaigns as they enter the final week of the race.
This money does not include the political action committees, which are spending additional hundreds of thousands of dollars to support their favored candidates independently.
Planning Commissioner Sue Himmelrich leads the spending race at $90,183, as of her most recently filed campaign disclosure statements. She's loaned herself $90,000 and has another $12,000 in the bank from contributors.
Planning Commissioner Richard McKinnon trails close behind, having spent $88,253. McKinnon has loaned himself $50,000 and received $32,000 from contributors, with $17,500 in unpaid bills.
Himmelrich's money has been going toward campaign consultants and mailers — one that dropped this week portrays the proposed hotel developments along Ocean Avenue as Godzilla. McKinnon's has covered mailers, consulting, and some digital advertising.
Former Mayor Michael Feinstein takes the bronze in this round of spending at $64,152. He's loaned himself $44,500 and received $13,000 from individual contributors. Feinstein's spent his money on mailers, web and print advertising, and professional services.
Parks and Recreation Chair Phil Brock has raised about $21,000 and loaned himself the same amount. He's spent $34,417 on print and digital advertising, mailers, and campaign paraphernalia.
He returned two $325 contributions that he'd previously accepted from executives who sought to develop the Bergamot Station Arts Center. His acceptance of those contributions were not illegal but Brock had previously stated that he would not accept money from developers.
Brock's nemesis, Mayor Pam O'Connor trails him just slightly in the spending department, having dropped $32,013 thus far, with much of that spent on consulting services in the past few weeks.
O'Connor has raised $43,842 thus far, all through individual contributions.
She returned cash that she'd previously accepted from executives at Century West Partners, a development company whose projects O'Connor had voted to approve. O'Connor's acceptance of that cash may have been a violation of local laws, which states that council members cannot accept contributions from individuals who they have previously conferred a benefit.
Former Planning Commissioner Frank Gruber has raised the most cash from individual contributions — $48,155 — but has only spent $28,250.
Between the individual contributions and a $10,000 loan to himself, he holds more than $30,000 to spent in this home stretch — the most of any candidate.
Planning Commissioner Jennifer Kennedy, incumbent Kevin McKeown, and newcomer Nick Boles have each spent between $10,000 and $12,500.
Kennedy has raised nearly $18,000 through individual contributions and loaned herself another $4,000.
McKeown has raised $37,776, all through individual contributions and holds $26,372 in his war chest.
Boles has loaned himself $4,000 and raised $6,757 through individual contributions.
dave@www.smdp.com
