Thirteen of Oktibbeha County’s 45 candidates for office this election cycle failed to file their first campaign finance reports before May 8’s deadline, and four of those seeking office have still failed to turn in their respective paperwork.
Those late-filing politicians include: District 2 supervisor candidates Robert “Bubba” Lee Gray Jr. and Gene Autry Perry, and incumbent Orlando Trainer; District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson; District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams; circuit clerk candidate E. Regina Evans; Chancery Clerk Monica Banks; Coroner Michael Hunt; District 3 justice court judge candidates Hardy Mitchell and W.L. “Will” Hutchinson; unopposed District 1 Constable Shank Phelps; District 2 constable candidate Andre Quinn; and District 3 Constable James Lindsey.
As of Friday, the county clerk’s office had yet to receive information from Banks, Gray, Hunt and Williams.
Mississippi law requires candidates file periodic campaign finance reports detailing contributions and expenditures. The forms state “failure to submit reports in accordance with statutory deadlines” result in fines of $50 per day.
The entire Oktibbeha County candidate field, which includes late filers, reported spending about $27,000 from Jan. 1 to April 30 on their respective campaigns. Sixteen of the county’s 45 candidates reported no campaign expenses during the timeframe.
Supervisor races
Roughly $10,000 of this year’s campaign spending to date came from six of Oktibbeha County’s 14 district supervisor candidates.
In District 1, incumbent Republican John Montgomery, a Starkville firefighter who operates a lawn care business, faces retired rural mail carrier Donald Thompson, a Democrat, in November’s general election.
While Thompson reported no earned or spent monies in his campaign finance report, Montgomery’s filing shows he contributed $2,700 of his own money toward his election efforts. Montgomery also spent $2,299 on various printing projects and advertisements.
Of the three District 2 supervisor candidates that filed campaign finance reports, only Trainer reported an expense – a $15, itemized listing that was not represented in his filling. None of the candidates have raised money this year, their reports state.
August’s Democratic primary between Bubba Gray, Gene Autry Perry, Trainer and Tremell Orlando Sherman will decide the District 2 position since no Republicans or independents qualified.
2011’s tightest race was the District 3 contest between Democrat Marvell Howard and Republican Dennis “Denny” Daniels. Howard retained his seat, defeating Daniels by three votes.
Reports show Howard raised $782 and spent $60, while Daniels received $200 in donations and disbursed $743.43 since Jan. 1.
Daniels’ itemized expenses, a combined $623.43 line item, were used toward printing costs and advertising. His reported donation total was below the threshold for identification.
Howard’s contributions were not itemized, meaning individual receipts totaled less than $200. His $60 disbursement report was below the threshold for identification, too.
District 4’s GOP primary features the top campaign fundraiser of the year, first-time candidate Bart Gregory.
Gregory, a sports broadcaster who works for Mississippi State University, will face another candidate with MSU ties, Miss. Horse Park facility manager Bricklee Miller, in the August primary.
The winner of that race will face Democrat incumbent Daniel Jackson in the November general election.
Gregory reported $7,345 in contributions since Jan. 1, and his form states he spent $3,692.65 on his campaign. He received approximately $4,850 in itemized contributions from Starkville residents and others living in Jackson, Madison and Meridian.
His itemized expenses include a reception at a local restaurant, advertising and campaign signage.
Miller, whom Jackson beat in the last election cycle, did not report any contributions as of April 30. Her $567 in itemized expenses went toward signs and website fees.
Jackson’s report arrived at the clerk’s office Monday after the May 8 deadline. The incumbent has yet to raise campaign money this year, but he did spend $15 in nonitemized distributions, his filing shows.
Only two District 5 candidates — Starkville firefighter Sylvester “Dewayne” Davis and first-time office-seeker Ernest Rogers Jr. – filed their respective forms by the May 8 deadline.
Incumbent Williams did not.
Davis did not report any contributions, but documents show he spent $797.25 on campaign signs.
Rogers’ report also did not list any donations, but it did reflect $1,786.22 worth of expenses to numerous groups and individuals for banners, signs, flyers and other expenses.
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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