Campaign finances in the 2023 school board races for Eugene 4J, Bethel and Springfield
This is a breakdown of campaign finances for candidates running in the Tuesday special election for three metro school district board position races in Lane County.
A total of $346,000 had been contributed as of Friday between the 20 candidates, according to campaign finance data filed through the Secretary of State's office.
Eugene School District 4J
Eight candidates are vying for four positions on the Eugene School District 4J Board of Directors. Those elected will join the seven-member board.
The $280,000 combined contributions for the candidates makes it the most expensive school board race in Lane County.
Position 1 finances
For position 1, dentist Michael Bratland has nearly triple the funding of his competitor, retired teacher Tom Di Liberto, most of which from his own dental practice.
Read more: Meet 4J position 1 candidates Tom Di Liberto and Dr. Michael Bratland
Di Liberto has received over $30,000 in contributions, with his three largest donors being the local workers unions: Oregon School Employees Association, the school classified workers union, with $5,000, Eugene Education Association, the teachers union, with $4,000 and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 280 with $2,500.
He is supported by individual members from the Community Alliance for Public Education, a teacher-centric group that advocates for more public education funding and less standardized testing requirements.
Bratland has taken $86,000 in loans from Crisdental, his practice that has one location in Eugene and another in Lincoln City. He has just over $90,000 in recorded funding, combined with other smaller contributions, including $2,500 from Murphy Company, a Eugene plywood supplier.
Bratland is endorsed by Parents’ Rights In Education PAC and the Kids for Success PAC. Both groups support the concept of politics- and ideology-free schools.
Position 4 finances
For position 4, incumbent University of Oregon professor Gordon Lafer and retired police officer Rick Hamilton have raised similar amounts.
Read more: Meet Eugene 4J position 4 candidates Gordon Lafer and Rick Hamilton
Lafer has raised about $40,000. His biggest contributors have been from local workers unions. He received $10,000 from the OSEA and $2,000 from the EEA.
Lafer is supported by individual members of CAPE, who were also in favor of his 2019 campaign.
Hamilton has received about $35,000 in contributions, with his biggest donor being $10,000 from Jordan Papé, whose family owns construction materials supplier Papé.
Hamilton is endorsed by Stand for Children, a national organization that values the involvement of parents, teachers and community member and advocates for student success, and the Democratic Party of Lane County.
A flier with transphobic sentiments circulated Eugene with Hamilton listed as a recommended candidate. Hamilton denounced these ideals, releasing a statement: "I emphatically would never want to be endorsed by them. My values are for protecting and supporting all children, including LGBTQ youth, and all marginalized children."
Candidates Bratland, Grant Johnson and Timothy Sean Sutherland also were recommended on the flier, but did not release statements.
Position 5 finances
A significant gap in funding is seen in the position 5 race, with lawyer Jenny Jonak leading in finances over veteran Grant Johnson.
Read more: Meet Eugene 4J position 5 candidates Jenny Jonak and Grant Johnson
Jonak has raised nearly $45,000 for her campaign. Jonak's largest contributors include the unions OSEA with $2,000, EEA with $1,000 and IBEW with $2,500. Jonak also has contributed $5,000 of her own money.
Jonak is endorsed by Stand for Children, the Democratic Party of Lane County and other local labor unions.
Johnson has just over $1,200 in contributions. He received $369 from the Lane County Republican Central Committee.
Johnson is supported by the Kids for Success PAC.
Position 7 finances
For the position 4 race, business owner Morgan Munro has raised more than Timothy Sean Sutherland, who works in insurance.
Read more: Meet Eugene 4J position 7 candidates Morgan Munro, Timothy Sean Sutherland
Munro has received nearly $30,000 for her campaign, the largest single contribution being from OSEA with $2,000.
Munro is endorsed by the EEA, the Democratic Party of Lane County and Stand for Children.
Sutherland has about $5,500 in contributions, more than $4,000 of which are his own funds.
He also has received $500 from the dentist Bratland running for position 1 and $369 from the Lane County Republican Central Committee.
Sutherland is endorsed by Parents’ Rights In Education PAC and the Kids for Success PAC.
Springfield Public Schools
Five candidates are competing for two open positions on the Springfield Public Schools board of directors. Those elected will join the five-member board.
Read more: Meet the candidates for Springfield Public Schools board of directors
The candidates have received a total of $43,000 in contributions.
Position 1 finances
In the running for position 1 are self-employed Geena Davis, retired engineer Ken Kohl and caregiver Violet Olszyk.
Kohl has received nearly $4,500. His largest contributions are $800 from the Oregon Education Association and $1,000 from Oregon State Senator Lee Beyer's PAC. He also is endorsed by the Springfield Education Association and Stand for Children.
Olszyk has received about $10,500, about $8,200 of which are in accounts from Intisar Strategies, LLC, which is a political consulting firm for center-right candidates in Oregon. She is also endorsed by Oregon Right to Life.
The Register-Guard was unable to find records of Davis' finances.
Position 4 finances
In the running for position 4 are nonprofit worker Nicole De Graff and carpenter Anthony Reed.
De Graff has received about $11,600, about $5,000 of which are in accounts from political consulting and marketing firm Intisar Strategies and another $4,.800 from Alan Stout, a former republican candidate for Oregon Representative District 7. De Graff also is endorsed by Oregon Right to Life.
Reed has received about $16,500. His largest contributor is Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters who contributed $8,000. He received $2,500 from IBEW. He also is endorsed by Stand for Children.
Bethel School District
Seven candidates are vying for the three positions on the Bethel School District Board of Directors. Those elected will join the seven-member board.
Read more: Meet the candidates for Bethel School District board of directors
The Bethell School District board races are the least expensive of the three metro districts in Lane County, with a total of $22,500 in contributions.
Position 3 finances
Incumbent Greg Nelson, teacher Curt Nordling and accounting supervisor Leena Earnest are running for position 3.
Nordling has received nearly $10,000, with $4,000 from the EEA as his largest contribution. He is also endorsed by the EEA, the OEA, and the Bethel Association of Classified Employees.
Neither Nelson nor Earnest had campaign finance activity. Earnest is endorsed by the Kids for Success PAC.
Position 4 finances
Real estate agent Erin Basinger and Eugene city employee Daniel (Drae) Charles are running for position 4
Charles has received nearly $9,500. His biggest contributors are EEA with $2,000, OEA with $1,000 and Planned Parenthood PAC with $1,000. Charles also is endorsed by Stand for Children, Color PAC and Oregon Futures Lab. The latter two advocate for leaders of color to enter public office.
The Register-Guard was unable to find records of Basinger's finances.
Position 6 finances
In the position 6 campaign, incumbent Robin Zygaitis and financial licensing coach Scott Chatham are running.
Zygaitis has received more than $3,000. Her biggest contributions came from Joyea Wilhite with $750 and the EEA with $500. She also is endorsed by the OEA and the Democratic Party of Lane County.
The Register-Guard was unable to find records of Chatham's finances. He is endorsed by the Kids for Success PAC.
Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Election 2023: Campaign finances for Eugene, Springfield school board races
