Local candidates raise nearly $250K for election; big money in race for sheriff, school referendum

Monroe County candidates for political office raised about $250,000 this year for yard signs, advertisements and other election-related expenses — though the bulk of that figure was raised by just six candidates.

Candidates recently filed pre-election campaign finance reports, which provide voters with information about how much money candidates have raised, where that money comes from and how they're spending it.

“Money affects who wins elections,” said Nicholas Almendares, associate professor at Indiana University’s Maurer School of Law. Almendares' research focuses on topics including campaign finance.

Research generally points to a relationship between spending money and gaining votes, Almendares said, though the details of that relationship are not quite clear. For example, studies indicates that a candidate who spends $100 million will be better off than a candidate who spends nothing, but it’s not clear that spending $110 million — rather than $100 million — makes much of a difference.

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Nonetheless, Alemendares said, “There’s good evidence that money makes some kind of difference.”

The most recent local campaign finance reports show a tight race — at least in terms of finances — for Monroe County Circuit Court judge, but financial blowouts in the races for sheriff and county commissioner, with incumbent Commissioner Lee Jones trailing her challenger by a large margin.

Carl Lamb, a Republican running for Monroe County Circuit Court judge, has raised about $21,000 so far this year. His opponent, Democrat Emily Salzmann, has collected $18,000. Salzmann is a partner in Salzmann Law and has served as judge pro tempore. Lamb is a local attorney and Marine Corps veteran.

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Contributions the candidates have to report include cash, but also in-kind services, such as mailings, which a donor may handle for a candidate.

It's difficult to figure out how much candidate for Monroe County sheriff Ruben Marté, a Democrat, has raised. His pre-election report does not match his pre-primary report, nor do the columns add up. However, his treasurer, Michael Gastineau, said he would file an updated report that shows Marte has raised $33,450 this year.

Marté's opponent, Republican Nathan Williamson, has raised only about $9,000, giving Marté a roughly 4-1 spending advantage. Marté is a captain with the Indiana State Police, while Williamson is a sergeant in the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. Current Sheriff Brad Swain cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

Monroe County Commissioner Lee Jones, a Democrat, is trailing her Republican opponent Perry Robinson by a large margin in dollars raised: While Jones reported she raised about $3,700 through mid-October and had spent about $700, Robinson had raised nearly $26,000 and spent about $23,000, giving Robinson a 7-1 financial advantage. Jones and her husband operate Stranger’s Hill Organic Farms. Robinson is a union-represented electrician.

Almendares said given that money makes a difference in elections, candidates have to show who finances their campaigns: Voters deserve to know whether a candidate gets funded by an oil company or an environmental group.

“Disclosure is the (only) real tool left available to deal with the potential effect of money in politics,” Almendares said.

Candidates for most local races, even contested ones, raised only a few thousand dollars, much of it coming out of the candidates’ own pockets. For example, the largest single contributor to the campaign of Amy Swain, Democratic Party candidate for recorder, is Swain herself. She gave herself about $1,110 this year, or about a quarter of the total amount she raised. Other candidates get most of their money from friends and family. For example, Williamson, the Republican candidate for sheriff, got $5,000 from his mother, Thomica Breeden. That was more than half of the roughly $9,000 total he raised this year.

“It’s kind of where everyone starts,” Almendares said. “You call your friends.”

Candidates also have to list how much money they spent and on what. For many local candidates, the biggest bills come from printers for mailings or yard signs.

Yard signs are a time-honored tradition, Almendares said. Plus they’re cheap, especially compared to television ads. And for local candidates, their biggest hurdle is always getting out their name and message, he said.

Monroe County Republicans’ biggest expense was about $6,900 for the Bloomington Country Club, though the Republicans also spent $3,150 with a Chicago-based voter and consumer data company. And although most elected officeholders in Monroe County are Democrats, Monroe County Republicans raised more than $24,000 this year, about $7,700 more than the combined total raised by the Democratic Women Pac, the Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus and the Monroe County Young Democrats.

Monroe County schools referendum

The highest total raised by any local campaign this year was by Yes to MCCSC, which amassed more than $51,000 through Oct. 14 — though it had spent only about $12,000 of that, with three weeks to go before the election. A spokesman for the campaign said most of the dollars would be spent in the last month before the election.

MCCSC banking on passage:MCCSC school board approves 2023 budget. Here's how much it relies on the referendum.

For Monroe County Community School Corp., next week’s election will have a big impact. If voters approve a referendum, the school corporation will have $17.5 million more than if voters reject the referendum. That’s about 11% of the school system's budget.

School leaders have said they plan to use the money to increase teacher and support staff wages as well as invest more in special education services, performing arts, STEM and special programming. If voters reject the referendum, MCCSC officials have said they expect the school corporation will cut over 100 positions, freeze wages and reduce programs and services. The specific positions to be cut have not yet been identified but could include teachers.

The biggest donation to the MCCSC campaign came from Solution Tree, which, according to its website, offers professional development, online courses and education books for teachers. The business gave the MCCSC campaign $25,000.

Races for statehouse

The money raised by local candidates is dwarfed by the amount raised by candidates running for state office. For example, while all candidates running for local office have raised about $250,000 combined, that total was roughly matched by the two candidates for the District 62 seat in the Indiana House of Representatives: Democrat Penny Githens has raised about $127,000, while her Republican opponent Dave Hall has raised about $119,000.

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Githens got $30,500 from the Indianapolis-based Indiana Political Action Committee for Education, and Hall got nearly $22,000 from the House Republican Campaign Committee.

District 62 includes much of Monroe County, all of Brown and part of Jackson counties.

Githens’ biggest expenses included about $23,000 for a Washington, D.C-based media strategy firm, while Hall listed among his biggest expenses $7,500 for a Salt Lake City-based advertising agency and $2,500 for Facebook.

In the race for the District 46 seat of the House, incumbent Republican Bob Heaton has raised about $61,000 this year, compared to his Democratic Party challenger Kurtis Cummings, who has raised about $2,700. That gives Heaton a roughly 23-1 spending advantage.

Heaton got more from his single largest contributor — $3,500 from Hoosiers for Quality Education — than Cummings collected all year from all donors.

District 46 covers western Monroe County including Ellettsville, and portions of Owen, Clay and Vigo counties.

Errors, late filings, debts

Some candidates, including those for school board, don’t have to file reports unless they hit a certain spending threshold. Others, including Monroe County Assessor Judy Sharp, did not file a report. Sharp filed a report early in the year but said she forgot to file one last month. Sharp is unopposed and said she neither raised nor spent any money on her campaign this year.

Some candidates also filled out their forms incorrectly. Sometimes the math just doesn’t add up: For example, both candidates for sheriff list different amounts for how much money they had left over year-to-date and for the most recent reporting period. Those numbers should match. Other candidates who had that error include Paul White, running for recorder, and Jones, the incumbent Monroe County commissioner. The figures also didn’t match in the report filed by the Monroe County Young Democrats.

Marté’s treasurer said the candidate raised $33,450 this year — though the total listed in the report is more than $40,000. The report is handwritten and partially illegible. An Indiana Elections Division spokeswoman said there is no specific state law that requires campaign finance reports be legible, though local officials or concerned voters can file complaints about such issues.

Almendares said he suspects such errors are the result of local campaigns having few resources and little time. Small local campaigns generally cannot afford to hire an expert on campaign finance law. And most local candidates are busy knocking on doors and setting up yard signs, so the campaign finance reports sometimes become an afterthought. Plus, Almendares said, people don’t tend to go to jail for minor campaign finance violations, but they generally do if they pocket millions.

At least one report — from Williamson, candidate for sheriff — indicates a negative balance at the end of the reporting period, which, the election division spokeswoman said, is not something that should happen. Candidates should indicate on their forms any debts they still owe. For example, Hall, the Republican candidate for District 62, lists debts of $50,200 — to himself.

Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Big money in race for sheriff, school referendum. Who raised more?