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With Election Day three weeks away, the leading candidates for a D.C. Council at-large seat amassed roughly equal cash reserves for the reporting period between Aug. 11 and Oct. 10. Leading the pack: wine bar owner Khalid Pitts, who has nearly $100,000 to spend.
Brian Hart
Raised: $77,501.70. Spent: $17,570.23. Cash on hand: $71,241.17.
At first, LL was surprised to see Hart, who polls poorly and does as well in debates, raising more money than any other candidate. But the answer soon revealed itself: Hart loaned his campaign $71,900, bringing the total he’s loaned during the race to $90,900.
Robert White
Raised: $70,767.00. Spent: $52,075.78. Cash on hand: $72,011.21.
Among White’s donors: Fort Myer Construction contracting execs Lewis Shrensky and Jose Rodrigues ($1,000 each), former D.C. Council chairwoman Linda Cropp ($100), White endorser David Grosso ($350), and superlawyers A. Scott Bolden ($1,000) and Norman “Chip” Glasgow ($250).
Anita Bonds
Raised: $55,306.00. Spent: $5,604.80. Cash on hand: $76,518.53.
Khalid Pitts
Raised: $54,819.12. Spent: $50,077.61. Cash on hand: $99,955.81.
Wine bar owner Pitts is getting help from his restaurant and nightlife pals. Among his donors: Rasika owner and palak chaat maven Ashok Bajaj ($200), the 9:30 Club ($500), Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal ($250), 14th Street NW’s Masa 14 ($300), downtown’s Ristorante Tosca ($500), and politically active “Chef” Geoff Tracy ($500).
Elissa Silverman
Raised: $53,932.55. Spent: $35,504.56. Cash on hand: $38,649.28.
As always, take Silverman’s fundraising totals with the caveat that she won’t take corporate money. Her campaign donors include former Ward 6 councilmember Sharon Ambrose ($100) and attorney general election champion Gary Thompson ($100).
Silverman’s campaign paid Public Policy Polling $2,500 for a mailing list and the poll that is still the only public survey performed on the general election at-large race.
Courtney Snowden
Raised: $48,201.84. Spent: $56,396.15. Cash on hand: $54,054.38.
Snowden loaned her campaign $11,000. Also donating: LPAC, “the Lesbian Super PAC,” for $1,000.
Michael Brown
Raised: $16,975.97. Spent: $2,196.05. Cash on hand: $18,902.92.
Eric Jones
Raised: $15,950. Spent: $17,209.83. Cash on hand: $31,004.68.
Jones’ builder- and developer-powered money machine slowed this cycle, although he did get $500 from lawyer A. Scott Bolden and $1,000 from trade group the D.C. Building Industry Association. One uncommon expense: $213.36 to send youth to the Howard-Morehouse football game.
Graylan Hagler
Raised: $15,816.00. Spent: $14,392.88. Cash on hand: $10,995.48.
Rev. Hagler brings in $1,000 from the Oneida Indian Nation, whose Pigskins name change campaign he’s supported.
Kishan Putta
Raised:$10,580.19. Spent: $11,521.62. Cash on hand: $17,232.68.
Putta gets $100 from another prominent District Indian-American: former District CFO Natwar Gandhi ($100).
Eugene Puryear
Raised: $3,630.02. Spent: $2,760.29. Cash on hand: $4,133.73.
Despite being the first at-all-viable Statehood Green in ages, Puryear isn’t raking in the contributions (he won’t take corporate money). He has a new video, though, in which he proves why he chose politics over acting.
Calvin Gurley
Raised: $2,086.94. Spent: $1,884.48. Cash on hand: $275.
Perennial candidate Gurley keeps his low-profile campaign afloat with a $1,811.94 contribution from himself.
Wendell Felder
Raised: $1,563.88. Spent: $1,624.15. Cash on hand: $684.94.
Normally, Felder’s dismal fundraising total would only confirm him as the longest of long shots competing for an at-large seat. But $23.97 worth of Felder’s money came from Putta, one of his opponents. Putta tells LL that he donated to Felder because he wanted to recognize how much effort the young man was putting into the race.
Photo by Darrow Montgomery