Here's who is giving Stephanie Terry money in race for Evansville mayor

Thomas B. Langhorne, Evansville Courier & Press
Updated ·3 min read
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EVANSVILLE — No one yet knows whether the campaign kitty Democrat Stephanie Terry raised through mid-October will be enough to secure victory in the race for mayor of Evansville. It's less than half of Republican Natalie Rascher's haul but several times what Libertarian Michael Daugherty brought in.

Terry wins by one measure, at least.

The veteran Vanderburgh County Council member has raised more, spent less and retained more cash on hand handing into the campaign's stretch run than the most recent Democratic mayoral nominee, Gail Riecken in 2015. Riecken lost to incumbent Republican Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

Then a state legislator, Riecken reported having raised $368,982 in her mid-October 2015 pre-election finance report. Riecken reported she had spent $280,845, retaining $88,137 cash on hand with $20,000 in debt. Terry's corresponding numbers: $415,780 raised, $253,579 spent, $162,201 cash on hand and no debt.

More: 'Republicans for Terry' backing Democrat for Evansville mayor: Here's why

Terry said she is "very pleased" with her fundraising so far.

"We set a goal, and we've met that," she said Monday. "I'm pretty proud of the support, and I feel like it's from a wide array of people. We'll keep on fundraising to the end."

Democratic mayoral candidate Stephanie Terry
Democratic mayoral candidate Stephanie Terry

Among Terry's notable contributions:

The largest source of campaign cash to Terry — although not the largest single source — was ActBlue, an online fundraising platform for Democratic candidates, progressive organizations and nonprofits. Terry brought in $78,551 in ActBlue contributions, in amounts as small as $9.40 and as large as $5,086.90.

But her report includes no ActBlue donors' names. ActBlue itself says, "We operate as a conduit, which means donations made through ActBlue to a campaign or organization are considered individual donations."

According to the Indiana Election Division, there is no obligation for Democratic candidates to report the names of ActBlue donors to their campaigns. "ActBlue contributions should (be) reported as PAC contributions from ActBlue. ActBlue is responsible for reporting their individual contributors," the state agency said in an email to the Courier & Press last year.

Like other candidates for city and countywide elected office — including Rascher — Terry brought in money from out-of-town companies that do lobbying, bond or contracting business, or wish to do business, with local governments. Those contributions include $10,000 and $5,000 from Indianapolis law firms Bose Mckinney & Evans and Krieg DeVault LLP, respectively; $2,500 from Indianapolis-based Mechanical Contractors Association of Southern Indiana and $1,150 from Shepard Insurance LLC of Carmel.

Other notable donations included:

  • Victory Fund, a political committee formed by local Democratic politicians to counter Republican Winnecke's fundraising prowess, made contributions to Terry totaling $30,500.

  • Terry received $7,000 from former Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel's political committee and $500 from former Mayor Michael Vandeveer. State Rep. Ryan Hatfield's committee gave $10,000.

  • The Vanderburgh County Democratic Party gave Terry $17,550, including $12,550 on Oct. 12. The 8th congressional district party organization, based in Rockville, Ind., kicked in $3,000.

  • Among Terry's contributions from organized labor: Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 136 of Evansville gave $10,000. Local 215 Drive Political Fund, also of Evansville, contributed $12,500. United Steelworkers Local 104 PAC, based in Warrick County, gave Terry $15,000.

  • John Dunn, chairman and CEO of Dunn Hospitality Group, contributed $500 to Terry.

  • Cynthia Carwile, wife of Republican Cheryl Musgrave's 2023 mayoral campaign treasurer, Dan Carwile, gave Terry $550.

  • Earlier this year, Mark Rolley, president of Advanced Network & Computer Services, Inc., and Curt Begle, president of Berry Global's Health, Hygiene and Specialties Division, contributed to an anti-Musgrave political committee that sent a mailer that accused Musgrave of "selling out our conservative values and working against Republican candidates." Musgrave called it a lie. Rolley has contributed $25,000 to Democrat Terry's campaign. Begle has given $1,000.

More: Here's the backstory behind Cheryl Musgrave's devastating GOP primary loss in Evansville

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Here's who is giving Stephanie Terry money in race for Evansville mayor