Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane has lent $50,000 to her campaign to return to office, according to a campaign finance document filed Monday with the Wake County Board of Elections.

Meanwhile, her opponent, Democratic lawyer Charles Francis, also made public beefed-up donations and spending.

The loan to the Nancy McFarlane Committee was made on Sept. 19, according to the disclosure document.

McFarlane, an unaffiliated politician, has raised $119,382.28 for this election as of Aug. 29 and had $61,955.27 on hand, according to document filings.

Francis has raised $231,264.69 and has $67,805 on hand, having spent $163,458.80. He did not immediately return calls for comment.

Said Perry Woods, general consultant to the McFarlane campaign:

“The mayor’s grateful for all the support she’s received and is willing to loan the campaign the resources we need to win this election.”

Woods said McFarlane is not making the loan out of fear of losing, but would like to avoid a runoff, which would occur unless one of the mayoral candidates gets fifty percent of the vote plus one.

“A runoff would be costly and divisive,” Woods said.

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