The D.C. mayor’s race might be the most expensive in District history, but the other citywide candidates also are maintaining impressive coffers as the primary campaigns shift into overdrive.
In the race for D.C. Council chair, first-term Ward 7 Council Member Vincent Gray has collected $432,805 during the course of the campaign, and has $230,070 cash-on-hand for the stretch run to the Sept. 12 Democratic primary. His opponent, three-term Ward 3 Council Member Kathy Patterson, is well behind money-wise, having raised a total of $276,925 and ending the period with $91,614 on hand.
Gray tripled Patterson’s collections for the period between June 10 and Aug. 10.
“I think people see me as a very viable candidate,” Gray said Friday. “They look at me well beyond my experience on the council.”
Patterson tried to link Gray to special interests, powerful industries donating tens of thousands of dollars. Gray doesn’t deny winning over big business, but he said it’s representative of the “breadth of support” for his campaign.
“What you will see in my campaign filing is a large number of smaller donations — $100, $250 — from conscientious, everyday people around our city who want to make whatever investment they can afford in strong, experienced leadership for D.C.,” Patterson said in a statement.
In the race for the council’s at-large seat,incumbent Phil Mendelson has raised $162,114 and has $127,844 on hand. A. Scott Bolden, meanwhile, has raised $415,848 over the course of the campaign, and he’s spent all but $78,228. Bolden has also loaned himself $66,000, including $15,000 since June.
“We feel we’re in an excellent position for the last 30 days,” Bolden said Friday. “We’ve done everything we felt we needed to do, not just in fundraising, but also from a voter identification standpoint.”
Mendelson has been relatively quiet, so far avoiding a war of words with Bolden, a prominent D.C. attorney. But Jason Shedlock with the Mendelson campaign said the incumbent is prepared for the final month.
“People will get mailings,” Shedlock said. “They’ll hear from us.”
In other races:
» Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham has raised $208,761, ending the period with $194,492 on hand. His opponent, Chad Williams, has loaned himself 89 percent of the $77,710 he’s raised over the course of the campaign, and ended the period with $1,999.
» In Ward 3, Bill Rice and Paul Strauss lead the way, raising $144,834 and $113,292 respectively. But both have loaned themselves $40,000.
» In Ward 5, Harry Thomas Jr., and Frank Wilds lead among a busy field. Wilds ended the period with $42,996 on hand and Thomas closed with $19,218. Thomas, however, has raised $68,295 over the course of the campaign to Wilds’ $51,877.
» In Ward 6, School Board Member Tommy Wells is unmatched. Wells has raised $130,434 and closed with $86,720 on hand.
