More than $106,000 has been raised in relation to four local special elections, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk and Mississippi Secretary of State offices.
Pre-election campaign finance reports were due for candidates and political action committees by 5 p.m. Tuesday. The reports list the total amount of money raised and spent, and detail itemized donations of more than $200.
The reports were filed ahead of Nov. 7 elections for chancery clerk, circuit clerk, District 1 constable and a referendum on OCH Regional Medical Center in Oktibbeha County. Nov. 7 is also the date of the special election to replace former District 38 Rep. Tyrone Ellis. District 38 includes parts of Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties.
Hospital referendum
The Friends of OCH political action committee reported the most money raised of any group or candidate by Tuesday’s deadline. The Friends, a political group opposed to the sale of the 96-bed, county owned hospital, reported $43,730 in contributions. Of those, $38,850 are itemized, while $4,880 are non-itemized contributions.
The Friends of OCH received several donations from organizations, including $7,500 from the OCH Medical Staff Fund; $1,000 each from the Mississippi Bone and Joint Clinic and Starkville Surgical Associates; $600 from Starkville Orthopedic Clinic; and $500 from Sullivan’s Office Supply.
A number of physicians and OCH employees also donated to the Friends of OCH, including $1,000 from hospital CEO Richard Hilton.
Friends of OCH reported $16,471.67 in expenses. Much of that went to various advertising costs, with $8,193.67 to Pollan Promos for signs; $4,630.13 to Atomic Pictures for video production; $1,797.87 to Deep South and Co. for T-shirts; $721.90 to the Starkville Daily News for newspaper ads; and a combined $642.54 to Libba Andrews and Lawrence Mullins as reimbursement for paper flyers.
The group also reported a disbursement of $325.28 to Allen McBroom for social media cost reimbursement.
Circuit Clerk
Three candidates in the Oktibbeha County circuit clerk race reported a combined $30,431 in contributions.
Tony Rook led the pack, with $17,061 in donations. Of those, $7,700 were itemized, with $9,361 in non-itemized donations. Rook reported $8564.76 in expenditures for the period.
Sheryl Elmore reported $10,820 in contributions, $8,800 of them itemized. Elmore reported $6,498.33 in campaign expenditures.
Elmore and Rook were their own largest donors, with Elmore giving $8,000 to her own campaign and Rook reporting a $5,000 self-contribution.
Teresa Davis reported $2,550 in contributions, of which $1,800 were itemized. She reported $7,318.55 in expenditures.
Stephanie Morgan Snyder reported no campaign contributions and $1,130.96 in expenditures.
Elane Turner did not submit campaign finance report by Tuesday’s deadline.
Chancery Clerk
Four candidates running in the Oktibbeha County chancery clerk race raised a combined $25,945.23.
Martesa Bishop Flowers reported the most donations, with $11,657. She also reported $11,526.16 in expenditures.
Flowers was her own largest donor, giving it $8,980. She also received a combined $600 from Dan Camp Family Real Estate Co., LLC.
Barbara Mitchell reported $6,589.73 in donations and expenditures. She reported $4,300 of itemized donations and $2,289.73 in non-itemized contributions, including a $4,000 personal contribution to her campaign.
Tina Fisher reported $4,848 in campaign contributions and expenditures. A number of Columbus donors contributed to her campaign, including $500 from Lowndes County Chancery Clerk Lisa Younger-Neese; $500 from Columbus attorney Gawyn Mitchell; $300 each from attorneys Chuck Easley and David Owen; and $250 from attorney Jack Hayes.
Sharon Livingston reported $2,850 in campaign contributions, with $11,857.71 in expenditures.
Margaret Monique Jordan and Hattie Ridgel did not submit finance reports by Tuesday’s deadline.
District 38 Representative and constable
District 38 candidates Lisa Wynn and Narissa Dawn Bradford reported a combined $6,130 in campaign contributions in reports filed with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Wynn reported $5,210 in contributions, none of which are itemized, and $3,687 in expenditures. Wynn spent $1,184.37 with Pollan Signs in Starkville for signs; a combined $760 to Urban Radio in Starkville; $400 to Cumulus in Columbus; $212 to imprint.com; a combined $610.63 to VisaPrint; and $190 in miscellaneous expenses.
Bradford reported $920 in contributions, none of which are itemized, and $1,494.38 in expenditures.
Bradford’s report includes $250 to the Secretary of State’s Office for a qualifying fee, $642 to Almond Printing Company in Aberdeen for campaign yard signs; and a combined $688.29 to VistaPrint for campaign flyers.
A finance report for Cheikh A. Taylor was not available on the Secretary of State’s website by press time.
District 1 constable candidate Shank reported no campaign contributions and $751.06 in expenditures.
Joe Morse did not submit a report by Tuesday’s deadline.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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