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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here are some highlights from the campaign finance reports that candidates for Asheville City Council are required to file. This reporting period covers the period from Jan. 1 to June 30 of this year.

First-time candidate Jeremy Goldstein, a real estate broker and member of the Asheville Planning & Zoning Commission, raised the most money at $29,502. Another first-timer, West Asheville transit activist Kim Roney, ranked second in the quest for cash at $18,566. Vijay Kapoor, yet another first-time candidate, was third with $15,872.

Cecil Bothwell and Gwen Wisler, the two incumbents seeking re-election, raised about $4,800 and $8,000 respectively.

Read on for details on who gave to the candidates and where the candidates are spending their money.

Of course, big campaign coffers don’t always guarantee victory. In the last Asheville City Council back in 2015, first-time candidate Keith Young won by garnering the most votes of any council candidates while raising and spending the least amount of money. Young raised about $9,600 and spent about $4,600.

Here’s the breakdown.

For Mayor

Mayor Esther Manheimer
Raised for this reporting period: $2,150
Spent for this reporting period: $48
Big contributor: $750 from Gail Manheimer, an Asheville Realtor
Other contributors: $500 from Aaron Manheimer, a personal trainer in Chicago; $250 from former Asheville City Councilman Marc Hunt
Big expenditure: N/A

No reports posted yet for mayoral candidates Jonathan WainscottJonathan Glover or Martin Ramsey

For Asheville City Council
Three seats are up for grabs. The seats are currently held by Gordon Smith, who is not seeking re-election, Cecil Bothwell and Gwen Wisler

Cecil Bothwell
Raised for this reporting period: $4,815
Spent for this reporting period: $1,102
Big contributor: $500 from Charlie Thomas, and another $145 from his wife, Laura Thomas; the two are significant backers of PARC and proponents of a downtown park to be developed on city-owned land on Haywood Street
Other contributors: Mostly small contributions from supporters
Big expenditure: $5,000 to Justin Nemon, Bothwell’s campaign manager

Jeremy Goldstein
Raised: $29,502
Spent: $11,987
Big contributor: $3,000 from Rusty Pulliam, an Asheville developer who does much of his work in south Asheville.
Other contributors: $1,000 from Christopher Eller of Civil Design Concepts; $1,000 from George Morosani, an Asheville developer; $500 from Asheville hotelier Himanshu Karvir
Big expenditure: $4,000 to Cheadles Art and Sign, a sign company

Vijay Kapoor
Raised: $15,872
Spent: $4,504
Big contributor: $3,000 from Vinod Kapoor of Asheville, listed as director of manufacturing at Carlisle Brake
Other contributors: $500 from Kevin Maillard, professor at Syracuse University’s law school; $500 from Jannie Lau, at attorney with Interdigital Inc. in Villanova, Penn.; and $500 from Marshall Kuremsky, a Raleigh orthopedic surgeon
Big expenditure: $2,209 to Lightning Bolt Ink in downtown Asheville for “Vote Vijay” T-shirts

Rich Lee
Raised: $9,662
Spent: $7,205
Big contributor: $667 from Lindsay Furst, a teacher in Buncombe County Schools
Other contributors: $600 from retiree Chas Jansen, $500 from Joseph Kosmala; $200 from Chicago-based Realtor Jeffrey Kellman
Big expenditure: $374 to Facebook for Facebook ads; $500 to the Resonant Rogues to play at his campaign kickoff

Kim Roney
Raised: $18,566
Spent: $12,738
Big contributor: $5,000, an in-kind contribution from Asheville-based singer-songwriter Angel Olsen, who held a fund-raising concert on Roney’s behalf at the Orange Peel in March
Other contributors: $1,540 from Renee Owen, executive director of Rainbow Community School
Big expenditure: $1,000 to the Orange Peel to rent the space for the Angel Olsen concert; $1,366 to Sow True Seeds for seed packets

Sheneika Smith
Raised: $1,610
Spent: N/A
Big contributor: $1,000 from Amy Mandel, listed as founder of the Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund
Other contributors: $50 from Gene Bell, chief executive officer of the Asheville Housing Authority; $50 from Jennifer Pickering, executive director and founder of LEAF
Big expenditure: N/A

Adrian Vassallo
Raised: $12,190
Spent: $6,110
Big contributor: $2,500 from Rick Ricordati, an Asheville retiree
Other contributors: $500 from Rick Guthy of Wicked Weed Brewing; $500 from Sage Turner of French Broad Food Co-op; $500 from Joe Minicozzi of Urban3; $250 from former Asheville City Councilman Jan Davis
Big expenditure: $3,500 to Blake Butler, his campaign manager

Dee Williams
Raised: 7,217
Spent: $5,615
Big contributor: $2,225 in-kind donation for website development from Patrick Conant, an Asheville-based web developer and open data activist
Other contributors: $548 from Western NC Green Party; $350 from Joe Cobble, an Asheville vocational counselor with Aetna; $250 from Steve Livingston, owner of StereoMan
Big expenditure: $400 each to Philo Reitzel and Juan Holladay of the Secret B-Sides for entertainment

Gwen Wisler
Raised: $8,136
Spent: $2,737
Big contributor: $1,000 from Asheville philanthropist Mack Pearsall
Other contributors: $500 from Michael Wisler; $300 from Asheville retiree Thomas Youngblood; $100 from Asheville City Councilwoman Julie Mayfield, who works as co-director of the environmental nonprofit MountainTrue
Big expenditure: $1,048 to yardsignwholesale.com for yard signs

No reports posted yet from Andrew Fletcher, Pratik Bhakta or Jan Howard Kubiniec

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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1 Comment

  1. BMacAVL August 8, 2017

    Looks like Jeremy Goldstein is the candidate looking to keep the hotel developers happy…I wonder when Mckibbon will cut his check?

    Reply

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