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Observations on the Lansing election

November 3, 2017

 

The last campaign finance reports before the November 7 election are in, covering the period from August 29 through October 22. This is from the summary pages of those reports, which gives accumulated totals for the entire campaign. Links to the reports are here.

 

Candidate Office Sought Contributions Expenditures Ending Balance
Judi Brown Clarke Mayor 78,513.80 71,790.09 14,130.90
Andy Schor Mayor *351,519.85 215,368.95 135,345.90
Jerimic Clayborn III Clerk 250.36 250.36 33.02
Chris Swope Clerk 12,708.99 16,505.77 5,135.31
Kyle Bowman Council at Large 22,062.00 20,988.87 1,073.15
Kathie Dunbar Council at Large 40,206.00 43,262.75 6,049.71
Guillermo Lopez Council at Large 11,846.06 7,021.39 3,171.45
Peter Spadafore Council at Large 63,147.52 36,920.81 26,226.71
Jeremy Garza Council 2nd Ward 43,380.00 38,644.64 4,235.46
Tina Houghton Council 2nd Ward 34,270.00 33,713.65 6,148.64
Brian Jackson Council 4th Ward 16,705.87 9,290.10 4,322.30
James McClurken Council 4th Ward 22,702.00 22,499.08 211.92

*$90,000 of Schor's contributions was a transfer from this state representative campaign finance committee.

 

Here are the contributions from political action committees (PACs) reported in those final reports:

 

PAC

Candidate

Date

Amount

LAHR (Lansing Assoc for Human Rights)

Swope

7/21/2017

50

IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund

Swope

7/25/2017

100

Realtors of PAC of Michigan

Spadafore

9/1/2017

1,000

Miller Canfield

Spadafore

9/6/2017

250

IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund

Spadafore

9/25/2017

2,500

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC

Spadafore

10/4/2017

1,000

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333

Spadafore

10/9/2017

2,000

Michigan Elementary & Middle School Principals Assoc

Spadafore

10/9/2017

250

Delta PAC

Schor

9/8/2017

250

Delta PAC

Schor

9/13/2017

250

Warner Norcross & Judd PAC

Schor

9/25/2017

500

Pipefitters Local 636

Schor

9/25/2017

2,500

Operating Engineers Local 324

Schor

9/25/2017

2,500

Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters

Schor

9/25/2017

5,000

IBEW PAC Local 58

Schor

9/25/2017

5,000

Teamsters Drive PAC

Schor

9/29/2017

2,500

Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters

Schor

9/29/2017

2,000

Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council

Schor

10/2/2017

250

MEA PAC

Schor

10/2/2017

100

Blue Cross Blue Shield PAC

Schor

10/3/2017

2,500

Muchmore Harrington Smalley & Associates

Schor

10/4/2017

250

Plunkett Cooney

Schor

10/10/2017

500

Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters

Schor

10/10/2017

5,000

International Union of Painters & Applied Trades

Schor

10/17/2017

1,000

Miller Canfield

Schor

10/21/2017

7,000

Michigan Professional Firefighters Union

Schor

10/21/2017

1,000

Realtors of PAC of Michigan

Jackson

10/30/2017

500

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC

Jackson

10/30/2017

1,000

Delta PAC

Houghton

9/25/2017

500

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC

Houghton

10/4/2017

5,000

Plumbers Local 98 PAC

Garza

9/14/2017

1,000

Pipefitters Local 636

Garza

9/14/2017

2,500

Road Sprinkler Fitters LU 669

Garza

9/15/2017

475

IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund

Garza

9/26/2017

2,500

Asbestos Workers PAC

Garza

9/27/2017

3,000

Michigan Laborer Political League PAC

Garza

9/30/2017

250

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 5500

Garza

10/13/2017

1,000

International Union of Painters & Applied Trades

Garza

10/17/2017

500

Sheetmetal Workers Local 7 PAC

Garza

10/26/2017

500

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC

Dunbar

9/30/2017

2,500

Lansing Regional Chamber PAC

Dunbar

9/30/2017

2,500

Greater Lansing Association of Realtors

Dunbar

10/20/2017

750

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333

Bowman

9/18/2017

1,000

 

My previous story talked of PAC contributions in the earlier reports.

 

The Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333 PAC remains the top contributor to Lansing campaigns with $41,000:

 

Friends of Andy Schor

12/13/2016

2,500

Friends of Andy Schor

1/17/2017

2,500

Judi4Lansing (Judi Brown Clarke)

2/10/2017

1,000

Schor for Lansing

3/21/2107

10,000

Jeremy Garza for Council

4/26/2017

7,500

Schor for Lansing

6/16/2017

2,500

Jeremy Garza for Council

7/17/2017

2,000

Schor for Lansing

7/24/2017

7,500

Committee to Elect Peter Spadafore

7/26/2017

1,000

Kyle Bowman for City Council

7/28/2017

1,000

Jeremy Garza for Council

8/25/2017

500

Kyle Bowman for City Council

9/18/2017

1,000

Committee to Elect Peter Spadafore

10/2/2017

2,000

 

TOTAL:

$41,000

 

2nd ward candidate Jeremy Garza's PAC contributors remain exclusively union-related. They supplied $35,325 of his $43,380 total:

 

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333

4/26/2017

7,500

Pipefitters 636

5/4/2017

2,500

Plumbers & Pipefitters 671

5/10/2017

500

UP Plumbers & Pipefitters 111

5/15/2017

2,000

Heat & Frost Insulators 47

5/30/2017

100

IBEW Voluntary Fund

6/12/2017

500

Operating Engineers Local 324

6/14/2017

250

Plumbers & Pipefitters 190

6/14/2017

2,500

IBEW Voluntary Fund

6/16/2017

500

Michigan Building Trades Council

6/19/2017

250

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333

7/17/2017

2,000

Sheet Metal Workers Local 7

7/20/2017

500

Plumbers & Steamfitters 85

8/2/2017

2,500

Sheet Metal Workers Local 7

8/15/2017

500

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 333

8/25/2017

500

MI Regional Council of Carpenters

8/28/2017

1,000

Plumbers Local 98 PAC
9/14/2017
1,000
Pipefitters Local 636
9/14/2017
2,500
Road Sprinkler Fitters LU 669
9/15/2017
475
IBEW PAC Voluntary Fund
9/26/2017
2,500
Asbestos Workers PAC
9/27/2017
3,000
Michigan Laborer Political League PAC
9/30/2017
250
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 5500
10/13/2017
1,000
International Union of Painters & Applied Trades
10/17/2017
500
Sheetmetal Workers Local 7 PAC
10/26/2017
500
  TOTAL:

35,325

 

Kathie Dunbar got a $750 contribution from music producer Gary Jones:

 

 

However, for his $750 contribution to Tina Houghton, Gary Jones gives no occupation, but says his employer is College Fields:

 

 

In 2016, Gary Jones contributed to Virg Bernero. At that time, he gave his occupation as owner of Jones Development Company (developer of College Fields). He also contributed to Virg's 527 account (see story).

 

 

Rather large contributions were made to Kathie Dunbar from the Monahan boys of Grand Rapids. $2000 is the limit for contributions from individuals to at-large council candidates. I don't remember ever having seen contributions to Lansing candidates from these guys.

 

 

I received this flyer in the mail on November 2. It seems to be trying to put the blame on Andy Schor for a failed 2015 legislative proposal to raise taxes for road repairs. The flyer appears to violate campaign finance laws by not saying who paid for it. The return address is Capitol City Leadership Project. I googled that name and got nothing. They don't seem to be a PAC registered with the Secretary of State, either.

 

 

 

In Michigan, state law prohibits cities from imposing sales taxes, and there are no proposals for sales tax increases at the state level. This flyer is not only illegal, but dumb.

 

I kept all the flyers my wife and I received from candidates since the primary. Here are the numbers:

 

Candidate

Mailed

Delivered

Judi Brown Clarke

4

 

Andy Schor

1

 

Jerimic Clayborn III

 

 

Chris Swope

 

 

Kyle Bowman

 

 

Kathie Dunbar

3

 

Guillermo Lopez

1

 

Peter Spadafore

5

 

Brian Jackson

6

2

James McClurken

5

1

 

I didn't include Tina Houghton and Jeremy Garza, since they are 2nd ward and I am 4th. I am surprised that with all his money, we only got one from Schor. Maybe he is saving it for his next campaign. I am also surprised that Brian Jackson, with as little money as he had, could afford to mail 6 and deliver 2. He mailed them to both me and my wife, which is a waste of money. Note to Brian: Next time, sort the voter list by address and eliminate duplicates. McClurken addressed his to The Harry Family, but still sent 2 sets of duplicates.

 

Send comments, questions, and tips to stevenrharry@gmail.com, or call or text me at 517-505-2696. If you'd like to be notified by email when I post a new story, let me know.

 

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