Rooker, Norris lead in area fundraising

While Labor Day marks the traditional start of the local campaign season, the race for Charlottesville City Council and the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors got a head start this summer with numerous candidate appearances and significant fundraising. The money in the local elections is once again being tracked by the Virginia Public Access Project.

Every candidate must file financial reports at regular intervals throughout the election cycle with local registrars, or by submitting the information electronically to the State Board of Elections. The last filing date was on June 30. Through June, county supervisor candidates had already raised a combined total of almost $150,000. In 2007, supervisor candidates raised about $257,000 for the entire election.

Independent Dennis Rooker is running for re-election in the county’s Jack Jouett district and he has the most money on hand of any supervisor candidate with just over $70,000. Even though he now faces no opposition, Rooker received 25 donations early in the year each totaling $1,000 or more. Larger donations include those from local author John Grisham ($7,500), SNL Financial ($5,000), financial adviser R. Ted Weschler ($5,000), real estate developer Anne Worrell ($5,000) and ACAC owner Phillip Wendell ($2,000).

Democrat David Slutzky is running for re-election to the Rio district seat and he has raised the second most among supervisor candidates with $38,191. Since his fundraising began in 2008, Slutzky has received nine donations of $1,000 or more from such donors as John Grisham ($7,500), R. Ted Weschler ($5,000), local developer Barbara Fried ($5,000) and the Democratic Road Back PAC ($1,500).

Slutzky’s challenger, Republican Rodney Thomas, has raised a total of $21,182. This total includes an $11,592 in-kind donation from his business, Charlottesville Press, for the design and printing of campaign signs and brochures. Thomas’ individual contributions total $8,090, with only one totaling $1,000 or more. That donation came from Nancy Badoud of Keswick ($2,000).

Independent John Lowry leads fundraising for the open Samuel Miller District seat with a total of $12,775. Sally Thomas, the district’s supervisor for the past 16 years, is not seeking reelection. Lowry had one donation of $1,000 or more from University of Virginia medical school professor Robert Carey ($1,000).

Democrat Madison Cummings raised a total of $5,400, which includes a $5,000 loan from himself. Republican candidate Duane Snow raised a total of $2,075 in donations, none of which was over $1,000.

In the City Council race, Democrat Dave Norris has raised a total of $7,946, including $5,914 from individual contributions and a $2,000 loan from himself. All of Norris’ individual campaign contributions were $500 or less.

Fellow Democrat Kristin Szakos raised a total of $4,760. All of these contributions were less than $500 as well.

Though he is not officially on the ballot, write-in council candidate Andrew Williams has raised a total of $335, which includes a loan of $75 from himself. The two other independent challengers for City Council, Bob Fenwick and Paul Long, reported no fundraising activity through June 30.

The next candidate fundraising reports will cover the period from July 1 to Aug. 31 and the data will be made available to the public on the VPAP Web site in late September.

Charlottesville Tomorrow is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization covering land-use and transportation issues in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.