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Fundraising total for Atlantic City primary third-highest among New Jersey towns, counties
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ATLANTIC CITY — The total amount of money raised by candidates in the resort’s June primary race is the third-highest among municipalities and counties in New Jersey, according to data compiled by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Atlantic City’s primary, which featured a three-way battle for the Democratic nomination for mayor and 14 candidates running for three open City Council seats, was one of only five local or county primary races in New Jersey in which more than $200,000 was raised. The city’s candidates collectively received $251,303 in contributions and spent $248,142.
Only Edison Township, in Middlesex County, and East Orange, in Essex County, tallied more donations and expenditures.
The state commission released the figures and rankings Monday to show off its new database detailing municipal campaign finances. The database lists more than $5.5 million in municipal primary donations throughout the state. The commission is currently compiling donations for this month’s general elections, which exceeded $11.5 million across the state.
“Our primary mission at the commission is to provide the fullest possible disclosure of candidate fundraising,” said Jeff Brindle, executive director of the commission. “This brings us one step closer to fulfilling that mission.”
The new database also received the enthusiastic endorsement of Citizens Campaign, an organization that promotes pay-to-play laws and limits.
“I think this will serve as an important tool for citizens on the ground,” said Heather Taylor, the group’s communications director. Taylor added that she hopes the commission will continue to capitalize on “the tools the Internet has to offer.”
After hearing how the totals lined up with other New Jersey towns, failed mayoral candidate Marty Small said the numbers in Atlantic City’s June primary could have been even higher if he hadn’t narrowly lost the Democratic City Committee’s endorsement.
“That committee vote did a lot of damage,” said Small, the city’s 2nd Ward councilman. “Even in this economy, I had people saying that (raising) $300,000 and $400,000 wouldn’t be a problem if I won the line.”
Small, whose campaign committee ended up only raising about $60,000, declined to discuss who he solicited donations from.
“Money isn’t everything (in an Atlantic City election), but you have to be able to compete,” Small said. “We were so disorganized we couldn’t do the type of fundraising we wanted to. Still, $60,000 isn’t bad for what we were working with.”
A state grand jury later indicted Small and 13 others on election-fraud charges related to his campaign’s absentee-ballot operation. He has denied any wrongdoing.
Andy Weber, a head strategist in Mayor Lorenzo Langford’s successful campaign, said Langford’s fundraising got a boost from rumors about wrongdoing in Small’s campaign.
“There were a number of people disheartened by the techniques being used with the messenger ballots,” he said. “A lot of people were turned off by that.”
But Weber insisted that fundraising came easy for the mayor as the primary campaign pushed forward. He said as Langford’s expected opponents decided not to run, the supported flocked to him, instead of Small or former city police officer David Tayoun.
“It became apparent early on that (Langford) was the better candidate,” Weber said.
Langford ultimately raised nearly $90,000 through his own campaign committee and had political action committees such as Citizens First collecting even more donations and circulating the more negative advertisements.
Contact Michael Clark:
609-272-7204
Posted in ATLANTIC CITY on Tuesday, November 17, 2009 12:25 am
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