All last-minute contributions to political candidates, such as at this fund raiser, must be reported in the final week before the primaries in 48-hour reports. Amounts over $200 must be itemized.
Democratic mayoral challenger Jonathan Lee has raised $334,560.03 since the start of the new year, according to a campaign finance report filed by his political action committee Friends of Jonathan Lee on Tuesday.
Lee pulled in more than $183,000 more than the next highest total from incumbent Harvey Johnson Jr., who raised $150,585 in the same period from Jan. 1 though April 27.
Lee's biggest donor is himself. According to records, Lee donated $4,500 on Feb. 11 and $140,000 into his own Friends of Jonathan Lee campaign on March 29. On March 28, the campaign had written a check for $140,000 to LUC Media, a media-buyer out of Marietta, Ga.
Jacksonian William Cooley was his next biggest donor after he gave $12,000 on March 18.
What's even more impressive is how much Lee has spent. Since Jan. 1, the campaign has paid out $306,946, including the $140,000 to LUC Media, $29,000 to Southern Research, and $18,750 and $16,375 to JW Turner Consulting and Hendrix and Dometz Solutions, respectively—both businesses registered under the name of Lee's advisers Jared Turner and Tyrone Hendrix. Those staffers received money from the Jackson 20/20 PAC in 2012, which also supports Lee's campaign. That PAC did not file a report by April 30, as required by state law.
Southern Research Group is a Jackson-based marketing research and consulting firm. SRG and its president, Dan C. Davis, have given more than $15,000 to Republicans in state political races since 1999. Recipients include Tate Reeves, Phil Bryant, former Gov. Haley Barbour and the Mississippi Republican Party. In 2008, Davis also contributed to the federal election campaigns of U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper, both Republicans. In that timeframe, Davis and SRG did not give to any Democratic candidates, records show.
Lee reported a total amount of cash on hand of $27,613.
Johnson has $66,640 left in the tank, but spent $192,176 over that same period. Johnson's biggest donors are Samuel Agnew of Baton Rouge ($15,000).
Candidate Regina Quinn's campaign emailed her report to the JFP early the morning of May 1. She raised $113,229, with her largest contribution coming from her husband's law firm—a total of $33,475. She has spent $98,680 in the same period. She has $4,235 on hand.
Harvey Johnson, Jr.
Total raised
$150,585
Total spent
$192,176.26
Cash on hand
$66,640.83
10 biggest donors
- Samuel L. Agnew ($15,000)
- Law Office of Edsel J. Guydon ($10,000)
- Law Office of Bernard L. Charbonnett ($5,000)
- Andrew Jenkins ($5,000)
- Willie M. Bozeman ($5,000)
- Leland S. Garrett ($4,100)
- Melody H. Maxey ($4,000)
- John L. Maxey ($4,000)
- Compliance Envirosystems ($2,000)
- Bellevue Place Properties ($2,000)
The skinny
Johnson's campaign committee, Friends of Harvey Johnson, held a commanding lead after the first round of campaign finance reports were made public on Jan. 31, but not this time around. Two of his three biggest donors are from Louisiana, and the other is from Virginia.
Jonathan Lee
Total raised
$334,560
Total spent
$306,947
Cash on hand
$27,613.36
10 biggest donors
- Jonathan Lee ($144,500)
- Carol Biedenharn ($15,000)
- William Cooley ($15,000)
- Gloria M. Walker ($5,000)
- Robbie W. Hughes ($3,000)
- Leland Speed ($2,500)
- Betsy Creekmore ($2,500)
- Joe N. Tatum ($2,000)
- Ergon State PAC ($2,000)
- Randy James ($1,500)
The skinny
Lee's pockets are deep, no doubt, and he is still expected to gather more funding from the PAC Jackson 20/20 in the final week of the race, as well as from last-minute donations, including at a fundraiser tonight—May 2—at Sal & Mookie's in Fondren. Lee cut a check for $140,000 to his own campaign on March 29, a day after he paid that same amount out to LUC Media out of Marietta, Ga.
Frank Bluntson
Total raised
$27,401
Total spent
$24,140
Cash on hand
$3,261
10 biggest donors
- Frank Bluntson ($5,000)
- Sukhleu S. Third ($2,700)
- Eric Bluntson ($2,500)
- Leland Speed ($2,000)
- Rev. Charles Miller ($1,600)
- Capitol Parts Company ($1,000)
- Bob Hickinbottom ($1,000)
- Hesselbein Tire Co. ($1,000)
- Danny Cupit ($500)
- Dennis Sweet ($500)
The skinny
Bluntson did not file a campaign finance report for 2012, incorrectly saying he didn't have to because he only spent his own money. Two of his three biggest single donations came from himself and his son, Eric.
Regina Quinn
Total raised
$113,229
Total spent
$98,680
Cash on hand
$4,235
Top 10 donors
- May Law Firm ($33,475)
- Kimberly Williamson ($3,000)
- Terry Lovelace ($3,000)
- John Corlew ($1,000)
- Robert Shelton ($1,000)
- Richard and Keith West ($1,000)
- Arthur Jernigan Jr. ($1,000)
- Connie Thomas ($1,000)
- Henry Flowers ($1,000)
- Winston Thomas ($1,000)
- Jamie Kerr ($1,000)
- Cordale Quinn ($1,000)
- Throsia Ingram ($1,000)
The skinny
Quinn got $33,475 of her $133,229 from her husband John May's law firm, but she's raised a lot of money in small amounts. Only 12 of her 112 donors listed in her report gave more than $1,000, and the majority of those gave less than $200.
NOTE: During the final week of the campaign, the candidates must file report updates every 48 hours. We will post all those reports and any late stragglersas they are available. When asked about his missing report on Thursday, May 2, Chokwe Lumumba did not seem to know when the deadline was.
CORRECTION APPENDED: The original version of this story called Lee a "business owner." He told the Jackson Free Press last week that he has never been an owner of his family's business.
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