If only one person could be declared winner of last Tuesday’s Raleigh election, it would have to be Nancy McFarlane. Not only did the mayor easily best Bob Weltzin to secure a third term, but she also cobbled together a working majority on City Council to enact her agenda.
If there was a loser, it was developers, who lost three of their most ardent supporters: Neighborhood activist David Cox defeated longtime councilman John Odom; newcomer Corey Branch ousted Eugene Weeks in Southeast Raleigh; and, following the November runoff, Dickie Thompson will probably take the seat of Wayne Maiorano, a development attorney who declined to run for re-election.
This was not a cheap campaign. Combined, all 18 candidates for mayor and Council raised nearly $1 million; of that, the eight winners accounted for nearly two-thirds, or $676,375. In general, the incumbents raked it in from the development and real estate community as well as the usual array of lawyers and businesspeople. Unsurprisingly, the incumbents who raised the mostMcFarlane and Bonner Gaylordcoasted. On the other hand, two of the challengers who raised the least, Branch and Cox, also won, overcoming entrenched incumbents.
We wanted to see who had bankrolled these campaigns, and what that might tell us about the direction the next Council might take. Here you’ll find the five biggest donors to each victorious campaign as well as to the campaigns of Thompson and Eddie Woodhouse, who will square off next month. (Two exceptions: We set a threshold at $1,000; since Cox only had one person donate above that level, we only name his biggest backer. Also, six people donated $5,000 to Gaylord, and eight people gave $2,000 to McFarlane. In those cases, we list them all.)
You’ll see some familiarand recurringnames. Raleigh businessman Dean Debnam, of DrunkTown ad fame, gave big to Russ Stephenson; he also donated to McFarlane and Thompson. Developer John Kane hedged his bets and gave at least $1,000 to every candidate except David Cox. Developers Andy Andrews and Gregg Sandreuter gave to many of the incumbents as well, as did media mogul Jim Goodmon and his wife, Barbara. And Mayor McFarlane and her husband, Ron, propped up several of their favorites: They went all in for Kay Crowder and gave significantly to Stephenson, Thompson and Branch, too.
So, did Raleigh end up with the best City Council money can buy? We’ll find out soon enough.
Mayor Nancy McFarlane
Votes: 26,677
Dollars per vote: $5.05
Raised: $126,620.28
Andy Andrews $2,500
CEO, Dominion Realty (developer)
Noteworthy because: Dominion built the 11-story Charter Square building on Fayetteville Street and has plans for another 22-story tower in the works.
Dean Debnam, $2,000
CEO, Workplace Solutions and Public Policy Polling
Noteworthy because: #DrunkTown
Citizens for Grier Martin Committee $2,000
Noteworthy because: Grier Martin, a Raleigh Democrat, serves in the state House of Representatives.
James F. Goodmon $2,000
CEO, Capitol Broadcasting
Noteworthy because: Goodmon is on the Dix Visionaries Board of Directors.
Ann B. Goodnight $2,000
Director of Community Relations at SAS, wife of SAS CEO
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Dix Visionaries Board of Directors
Frank B. Holding Jr. $2,000
Banker, First Citizens Bank
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Dix Visionaries Board of Directors
John Kane, $2,000
CEO, Kane Realty Corporation
Noteworthy because: Developer of North Hills and the Dillon Supply building
Sherwood H. Smith Jr., $2,000
Chairman, Carolina Power and Light Co.
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Dix Visionaries Board of Directors
O. Temple Sloan, Jr., $2,000
Chairman, Trail Creek Investments
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Dix Visionaries Board of Directors
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Eddie Woodhouse
Votes: 3,302
Dollars per vote: $11.20
Raised: $36,979.00
Theodore Fowler $5,000
CEO, Golden Corral Franchising
Robert Luddy, $4,000
President, Captive Air Systems
Noteworthy because: Member of John Locke Foundation and Civitas Boards of Directors
Marilyn Avila, $1,000
Republican state representative from Raleigh
Van Ellen Eure, $1,000
Owner, Angus Barn
Charles Gilliam $1,000
Attorney, State of North Carolina
Fenton Howard $1,000
CEO, Stock Building Supply
Hudson for Congress $1,000
Committee of U.S. Congressman Richard Hudson, R-Concord
John Kane, $1,000
CEO, Kane Realty Corporation
K.D. Kennedy Jr. $1,000
Owner, Electric Supply of N.C.
Joy Moshakos $1,000
Owner, LM Restaurants
Orris Sloan, $1,000
CEO, Trail Creek Investments
Noteworthy because: Gave $2,000 to the mayor under the name O. Temple Sloan Jr
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Dickie Thompson
Votes: 3,359
Dollars per vote: $25.24
Raised: $84,785.07
Ron McFarlane $5,100
Pharmacist, MedPro RX
Noteworthy because: Mayor Nancy McFarlane’s husband
NC Homebuilders Association PAC $4,000
Pamela Cloud $2,000
N.C. government worker, retired
Dean Debnam, $2,000
CEO, Workplace Solutions and Public Policy Polling
Richard W. Gardner, $2,000
Financial Advisor, Rick Gardner and Associates
Henry Jones Jr. $2,000
Attorney, Jordan, Price, Wall, Gray, Jones & Carlton
Don Munford $2,000
Attorney, Smith Anderson
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Capital Community Foundation Board of Directors with Thompson
H. Martin Thompson $2,000
Vice president, J.M. Thompson Co. (construction)
Noteworthy because: Thompson’s brother and business partner
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Bonner Gaylord
Votes: 4,484
Dollars per vote: $41.14
Raised: $184,473.10
Michael Anderson $5,000
President, Anderson Automotive Group
Frank Daniels $5,000
The News & Observer publisher, retired
Richard T. Gaylord, Jr. $5,000
Noteworthy because: Bonner Gaylord’s father
James and Barbara Goodmon $5,000
CEO, Capitol Broadcasting, and wife
John Kane, $5,000
CEO, Kane Realty Corporation
Noteworthy because: Employs Gaylord as general manager of North Hills
Thomas Taft $5,000
Attorney, Taft Law Firm
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Mary-Ann Baldwin
Votes: 18,936
Dollars per vote $2.80
Raised: $53,033
Don Walston$3,000
President, Coldwell Bank
Brenda Gibson $2,500
Retired, community leader
Niall Hanley $2,500
Restaurant/bar owner
Noteworthy because: Owns The Hibernian, Raleigh Beer Garden and The Station.
Eliza Olander $2,500
Philanthropist, retired
Gregg Sandreuter $2,500
President, Hamilton Merritt (developer)
Noteworthy because: Serves on the Downtown Raleigh Alliance Board of Directors with Baldwin
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Kay Crowder
Votes: 4,217
Dollars per vote: $14.12
Raised: $59,545.58
Ron McFarlane $5,100
Pharmacist, MedPro RX
Nancy McFarlane $5,000
Mayor of Raleigh
Nancy McFarlane Committee $4,000
Greg Hatem$3,176
CEO, Empire Properties
Noteworthy because: Hatem has advocated for new sidewalk-drinking and noise regulations.
Andy Andrews $2,500
CEO, Dominion Realty
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Russ Stephenson
Votes: 18,430
Dollars per vote: $4.95
Raised: $91,158.39
Dean Debnam $5,100
CEO, Workplace Solutions and Public Policy Polling
Nancy McFarlane Committee $4,000
Noteworthy because: The mayor
Cynthia Ball $3,000
Mediator, Ball Mediation
Ruth Bromer $2,000
Retired
Gregg Sandreuter $1,500
President, Hamilton Merritt (developer)
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Corey Branch
Votes: 3,051
Dollars per vote: $6.94
Raised: $21,174
Chris Parrish $5,000
Owner, Parrish Manor
Ron McFarlane $5,100
Pharmacist, MedPro RX
John Kane $1,000
CEO, Kane Realty Corporation
Michael Woodward $1,000
Out-of-state property owner
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David Cox
Votes: 2,479
Dollars per vote: $7.51
Raised: $18,607.34
Kerry O’Sullivan, $1,800
Graphic designer, UNC-Chapel Hill
This article appeared in print with the headline “Hey, big spender”
