With four days until the District’s Democratic primary, the polls and money are aligning.
With the backing of the big business community, D.C. Council Chairman Linda Cropp was once expected to considerably out-raise her main rival in the mayor’s race, Ward 4 Council Member Adrian Fenty. But the latest campaign finance reports, filed Tuesday, confirm that never happened.
Fenty, now the clear front-runner in the race, has raised $2.69 million over the course of the campaign and $307,872 since Aug. 10, making him the most successful fundraiser of the past month. He spent $1 million during the period, leaving him with $861,516 on hand.
Cropp, meanwhile, has raised $2.7 million overall — $167,092 since Aug. 10 — but she’s down to $166,794 after laying out hundreds of thousands of dollars for multiple media buys, including two television ads, radio spots and an online campaign. Cropp spent $1.27 million between Aug. 10 and Wednesday, according to her report.
Former Verizon executive Marie Johns, who runs a distant third in the polls, has raised $620,764 over the course of the campaign and reported $69,200 cash-on-hand for the stretch run.
Vincent Orange has raised $539,703 and has spent all but $21,071. Lobbyist Michael Brown is down to $4,422 on hand, not including an $11,009 debt.
In her bid for D.C. Council chair, Ward 3 Council Member Kathy Patterson has raised $336,657 and has $47,115 in the bank for the last days of the campaign. Her opponent, Ward 7 Council Member Vincent Gray, has raised $543,807 and ended the period with $131,956.
