Runoff candidates file campaign finance reports

Tuesday marked the deadline for candidates competing in runoffs to file campaign finance reports for the fundraising period starting on April 23 and ending May 6.

The two runoff races on May 16 will be split between political parties, with the mayoral runoff for the Democratic Primary featuring local attorney Johnny Moore and property owner Lynn Spruill. The runoff for the Republican Primary for Ward 1 Alderman will see incumbent Ben Carver try to advance to the June 6 General Election over challenger Jason Camp.

With no Republican on the mayoral ticket, the winner of the mayor's race will be decided Tuesday, while the winner of the Ward

1 GOP Primary will face Democrat Christine Williams in the June 6 General Election.

Only candidates competing in the runoff were required to file pre-runoff campaign finance reports. Mayoral runoff

Spruill finished atop the three-candidate Democratic Primary for Starkville's highest office on Primary Day, with 47 percent of the vote.

Spruill may have finished atop the vote total - just short of a winning majority - but she also topped her competitor on the financial end during the latest reporting period.

During this time, Spruill pulled in $14,450 in contributions, while doling out $16,871.29 in expenses.

Spruill's biggest contribution came from

her own pocket, as the Democrat boosted her coffers with one $4,000 contribution to the campaign, followed by another in the amount of $7,500.

For advertising, Spuill has paid out $1,885.88 to Allmond Printing, to date. Political Sourcing Group in Jackson also received $6,112.22 from Spruill.

To date, Spruill has also paid out $5,542 to Urban Radio Broadcast, of Starkville.

During the fundraising period on the filing, Moore who garnered 45 percent of the vote during the Democratic Primary - raised a total of $8,726.29 toward his campaign war chest.

The biggest single contribution during this time came in the amount of $2,000 from JA-CO Foods, Inc., which was refunded because it exceeded the contribution limit.

In terms of disbursements, Moore paid out $500 to Dog Pound Printing and purchased two advertising spots in the Starkville Daily News, with payments of $756 and $400.

Moore also boosted advertising spending during this time with a $350 payout to Cummulus.

Campaign consulting was a financial point of focus for

Moore during the reporting date leading up to the runoff, shelling out $3,400 total between James Apple ($900) and James Bishop ($2,500)

In total, Moore received $7,075 total in contributions. Of Moore's contributions for this period, $5,125 was listed as itemized.

While Moore trailed during the reporting period, he was previously the frontrunner in terms of money on the books, reporting contributions totaling $53,450 ahead of the April 25 pre-primary filing deadline. Previously, the biggest contribution came from a $30,000 loan from the candidate into his own coffers. Ward 1 runoff

In a hotly-contested race for the Republican nod in the Ward 1 Board of Alderman race, candidates will get an additional week on the campaign trail following the results of the GOP Primary - which ultimately ended in a 104-104 tie between incumbent Ben Carver and challenger Jason Camp.

Carver filed the necessary paperwork, but did not list contributions or payouts for the required reporting period.

Camp also did not have any expenses or receipts exceeding the $200 threshold for filing as itemized.

In the calendar year to date, Camp has raised $1,575 while paying out $1,481.64.