City Assembly winners top spending contest
Candidates who spent more than their opponents in Juneau's Oct. 2 city election won seats on the Juneau Assembly, according to information from the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
In most cases, candidates spent less than or as much as they predicted before the election. Post-election spending reports were due Oct. 12, but were still being processed last week.
Areawide Assembly member Jim Powell, the only incumbent to run for re-election, reported $17,308 in paid expenses with $6,439 in debt or accrued expenses. Powell estimated he would spend $22,000 or $23,000 the week before the election. In early September, Powell estimated he would spend $18,000 or $20,000.
"It's the least I've ever spent on an election," he said. He spent about $24,000 the first time he ran for Assembly, he said.
Campaign spending was an issue in the areawide Assembly race this fall. Powell spent about $45,000 in 1998 and was fined for violations in reporting accrued expenses. This fall, he had a team of people going through the reports for accuracy. He said he doesn't expect the spending totals to change when his year-end report comes out.
"We were very conservative, very diligent about it," he said.
Businessman Chuck Collins, who ran against Powell, spent $13,532 and reported an outstanding debt of $3,118. He had estimated he would spend about $15,000 the week before the election, down from an estimate of $20,000 or $25,000 in early September.
"I'm surprised (Powell) only spent that much. I'm glad that he did. I don't think it does anybody any good to spend an astronomical amount," Collins said.
Collins said the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks took some of the focus away from local races. Still, he said he's concerned more people didn't vote. Turnout in the city election was a 28 percent, the lowest in the past 10 years.
"I would have spent more money if more people would have voted, whether they voted for me or not," he said.
In the District 1 race, winner Jeannie Johnson had $10,258 in paid expenses and reported an $8,548 debt. She estimated in early September she would spend $15,000.
District 1 candidate Tony Reiger reported $5,452 in paid expenses and a $1,550 deficit. He said he ran out of money the week before the election and will have to work for several months to pay off what he owes, he said. Money makes a difference in local campaigns, he said.
"Particularly when you're running as an independent, it almost prices it out. Let's put it this way it's not the average guy's activity," he said.
In the District 2 Assembly race, winner Randy Wanamaker spent $10,511 and raised $12,229. He wasn't sure how much he would need to spend when his campaign started, he said.
In the days following the Sept. 11 attacks, Wanamaker suspended fund-raising, door-to-door campaigning and advertising, he said.
"It just didn't seem appropriate," he said.
Clancy DeSmet, who finished second in the District 2 race, spent $3,263. Dixie Hood spent $5,298. No one in the District 2 race recorded a debt or deficit.
Juneau School Board incumbents Mary Becker and Stan Ridgeway who ran unopposed filed exemption statements with APOC that said they planned to raise and spend less than $2,500.
Juneau candidates are required to file year-end reports with APOC by Feb. 15, 2002.
*****
Joanna Markell can be reached at joannam@juneauempire.com.