Candidates take the money and run

By Jimmy LaRoue

Published: May 3, 2008

In the waning days of a hotly contested Waynesboro City Council campaign, Chris Graham has seemed omnipresent, his name and face appearing everywhere – in television and radio advertisements, on the Web and on signs seemingly dotting every street in the city.
It, of course, is no accident.
Graham has been the most prolific fundraiser of the six candidates vying for two contested seats on the council, according to The News Virginian’s analysis of campaign finance records. Graham has raked in $8,705 from 71 contributors. He expects the figure to hit $10,000 by Election Day on Tuesday.
The candidates combined have raised more than $36,000, about a third of that money coming from at-large challenger DuBose Egleston Jr.’s $12,000 loan to himself. The candidates have spent almost $25,000.
Fourteen of the contributions were for at least $500 and two totaled $1,000. nTelos Senior Vice President Mary McDermott donated $1,000 apiece to Graham and at-large candidate Jeremy Taylor. Graham also picked up a $1,000 donation from Edinburg retiree Donald Vreals.
Political allegiances figured prominently: former Councilman Reo Hatfield donated $500 apiece to at-large incumbent Frank Lucente and his ally in the Ward B race, Bruce Allen. Wayne Theatre Alliance Chairman Bill Hausrath gave $500 to Taylor and $100 to Graham, both of whom are linked to the council majority.
“When you’re raising money for a campaign, you’re going to be reaching out to the people who are supporting you,” Graham said.
Cutting a sharp contrast to the vigorous fundraising efforts of most of the field are Egleston and at-large challenger Greg Bruno, whose money has come almost exclusively from their own pockets.
“I’m not good at asking people for money,” Egleston said. Here’s the proof: He has raised just $149, the lowest figure in the campaign.
Egleston, however, has outspent all of his counterparts, pouring more than $8,300 into his campaign. Bruno, meanwhile, has spent the least, $1,170 while picking up just seven donations.
“It’s a decision I made from the very beginning that I wasn’t going to get in bed with any special interest group,” Bruno said.
The computer consultant calls his campaign an experiment to see if “an honest citizen” without special interest help can gain a spot on the City Council.
“When I win the seat, I hope it inspires people to do the same thing,” Bruno said.
Graham thinks that approach could backfire. Fundraising, he said, is not all about money: “It’s [also] about making people aware that you’re running.”
Most candidates pulled heavily from their own money. In addition to Egleston, Lucente loaned himself $2,000 and Allen, the campaign’s second most prolific fundraiser, kicked in $708. Only Graham and Taylor did not lend their campaigns money, according to the finance records.
“I wouldn’t say it was real expensive,” Lucente said. “I never thought I would have put what I put in it, but inflation gets you.”
Like Graham, Lucente expects to garner more contributions in the final days of the campaign. Lucente so far had received 19 contributions, four of them worth $500.
“I’m trying to spend what I’m getting in contributions,” he said. “I’d like to break even on the deal.”
Most of the money spent by candidates went to newspaper advertising, signs and mass mailings, according to finance records.

Big spenders
A look at spending by City Council candidates:
1. DuBose Egleston $8,364.16
2. Chris Graham $6,682.67
3. Frank Lucente $3,609.10
4. Bruce Allen $2,671.54
5. Jeremy Taylor $1,957.61
6. Greg Bruno $1,170.02

$1,000 club
Contributors who have given City Council candidates $1,000 or more:
1. Mary McDermott $2,000
to Graham and Taylor
2. Reo Hatfield $1,000
to Lucente and Allen
3. Donald Vreals $1,000
to Graham