Biff Poggi, executives, PACs: Who’s giving in Charlotte’s high-dollar District 6 election?
Charlotte’s most closely watched City Council race has drawn hundreds of thousands of dollars in fundraising and plenty of spending in the final weeks before Election Day, according to campaign finance data.
Republican City Councilman Tariq Bokhari’s and Democratic challenger Stephanie Hand’s campaigns say their latest reports, which cover what they raised and spent from Aug. 30 to Oct. 23, are a sign of strong support ahead of their Nov. 7 rematch. Bokhari defeated Hand by fewer than 400 votes in 2022 to hold south Charlotte’s District 6 seat.
Bokhari’s campaign has brought in $239,335 during the 2023 election cycle, more than triple the $64,475 he raised during the 2022 race. Hand’s numbers are up, too, from $40,879.83 raised in the 2022 campaign to $131,068.14 in the 2023 campaign.
Bokhari’s campaign brought in $126,760 in the latest period, which included $112,675 in contributions from individuals, $12,200 from political committees and $1,000 from the Mecklenburg GOP.
Other campaigns were among Bokhari’s donors, including $1,000 from the committee of Charlotte City Councilman Ed Driggs, $50 from the committee of Huntersville Mayor Melinda Bales and $3,000 from the committee of state Rep. Jason Saine. Other notable donations included $500 from the Atrium Health Employees PAC, $1,000 from Starmed Health CEO Michael Estramonte, $6,400 from Coca Cola Consolidated CEO Frank Harrison, $6,400 from the NC Realtors PAC and $2,500 from UNC Charlotte football coach Biff Poggi.
Bokhari still has $31,000 in outstanding loans to his campaign from himself, according to finance reports.
“It’s been humbling to see the record breaking support our community has given my campaign, and a testament to both what I’ve been able to accomplish these last 6 years and the critical need to maintain balance and avoid 1 party rule,” Bokhari said of the impact of his latest round of fundraising.
Bokhari’s campaign also spent plenty in the final weeks of the election, reporting $47,382.13 in expenditures in the period. That included, according to the report, $31,000 to the North Carolina Republican Party for mailers and $6,902 to a digital marketing firm.
Bokhari’s campaign had $170,565.48 in cash on hand at the end of the period. That’s money he’ll be able to spend in the final days before the election to help convince voters.
The Hand campaign reported $30,092.08 raised during the same period, including $18,636.78 in contributions from individuals and $9,400 from political committees.
Notable donations included $200 from state Rep. Mary Belk, $500 from District Court Judge Kim Best, $250 from state Rep. Becky Carney, $100 from Mecklenburg County Commissioner Pat Cotham, $100 from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board member Jennifer De La Jara, $100 from state Rep. Wesley Harris and $150 from state Sen. DeAndrea Salvador.
The campaign also reported a $3,000 donation from the Committee on Political Education and $6,400 from Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County. Hand also gave her campaign $2,300 in still-outstanding loans. Two additional payments by Hand totaling $5,032 are also listed as “debts owed” by her committee.
Her campaign spent $35,993.69 during the period, including $33,873.89 in operating expenses and $2,119.80 in refunds and reimbursements. Expenses included $21,389.24 to a Blossom Marketing for mailers, postcards and business cards, according to the report.
Hand’s campaign had $51,810.89 still left to spend at the end of the reporting period.
“The whole campaign has been a groundswell of support,” said Dan McCorkle, a Democratic strategist and senior consultant for the Hand campaign. “... It’s given us all the tools to be competitive. We’ve had every tool that’s needed.”
Here are the latest fundraising numbers for other Charlotte candidates:
Charlotte City Council District 3
Tiawana Brown (Democrat)
No pre-election report was listed by the county or state Board of Elections as of Wednesday afternoon. In its pre-primary report, filed in late September, Brown’s campaign said it had raised $7,519 in the 2023 election cycle.
James Harrison Bowers (Republican)
Total raised in period: $2,953.83
Total spent in period: $2,183.04
Cash on hand at end of period: $1,044.01
Notable donors: $500 from Kevrick McKain of the Douglass Leadership Institute
Charlotte City Council At-large
Dimple Ajmera (Democrat, Incumbent)
Total raised in period: $16,204
Total spent in period: $14,855.18
Cash on hand at end of period: $142,569.36
Notable donors: $175 from Tepper Sports executive Jacob Burns, $175 from Tepper Sports executive Kristi Coleman, $2,000 from Service Employees International Union
Steven J. DiFiore II (Libertarian)
No pre-election report was listed by the county or state Board of Elections as of Wednesday afternoon. In its 35-day report, filed in early August, DiFiore’s campaign said it has raised $1,012.82 in the 2023 election cycle.
James “Smuggie” Mitchell (Democrat, Incumbent)
No pre-election report was listed by the county or state Board of Elections as of Wednesday afternoon. In its pre-primary report, filed in early September, Mitchell’s campaign said it had raised $5,100 in the 2023 election cycle.
Lawana Slack-Mayfield (Democrat, Incumbent)
Total raised in period: $5,685
Total spent in period: $4,821.52
Cash on hand at end of period: $17,230.28
Notable donors: $2,000 from Service Employees International Union’s Committee on Political Education
Victoria Watlington
Total raised in period: $26,230
Total spent in period: $11,622.25
Cash on hand at end of period: $34,851.93
Notable donors: $150 from Bank of America Senior Vice President CT Anderson, $2,000 from Service Employees International Union’s Committee on Political Education, $250 from Mecklenburg County Commissioner George Dunlap
Charlotte Mayor
Misun Kim (Republican)
Total raised in period: $0
Total spent in period: $0
Cash on hand at end of period: $0
Notable donors: None
Vi Lyles (Democrat, Incumbent)
Total raised in period: $9,855
Total spent in period: $18,749.19
Cash on hand at end of period: $77,308.87
Notable donors: $1,000 from Tepper Sports executive Kristi Coleman, $500 from Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County
Rob Yates (Libertarian)
No pre-election report was listed by the county or state Board of Elections as of Wednesday afternoon. Only a statement of organization is listed by the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections for Yates.
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