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”