Mayoral election campaigns
see large increase in funds
Candidates Kitty Piercy
and Nancy Nathanson
received about $64,000
By Parker Howell
News Reporter
Running for mayor in Eugene isn't
cheap. Just ask mayoral candidates Kit
ty Piercy and Nancy Nathanson, who
are the main contenders for the posi
tion in the May 18 qualifying election.
Piercy and Nathanson had already
raised about $64,000 between them
by April 1, far more than the other
candidates, according to fund-raising
reports filed April 12. Both candidates
said they would continue to gather
funds, perhaps making this year's
campaign the most expensive ever.
At the time of the report, Piercy list
ed contributions of $39,423, while
Nathanson had received $24,360.
Piercy, a former state representative
and director of public affairs for
Planned Parenthood Health Services of
Southwestern Oregon, received $3,000
from the Eugene Firefighters Union, as
well as $1,000 from Eugene's Mel
Bankoff, the Monterey Pasta director of
Organic Foods;, James Gang Publish
ing of Eugene and Lane Community
College Computer Information Tech
nology faculty member Mark Williams.
She also received a large portion of
funds from contributions of $50 or less,
which totaled about $ 11,250.
Ward 8 City Councilor Nathanson
received large contributions from sev
eral businesses, including $1,500
from the Eugene Area Chamber of
Commerce and $1,000 donations
from Delta Sand & Gravel in Eugene,
Hamilton Construction Company of
Springfield and timber company
owner Greg Demers of Veneta.
Current Mayor Jim Torrey spent
$75,433 to win the post in 1996,
running against former Congress
man James Weaver. However, Ruth
Bascom spent only $20,565 to be
come mayor in 1992.
Although both are big spenders, Pier
cy and Nathanson have been using
money differently in their campaigns.
At the time of the report, Piercy had
spent about $7,000 on surveys and
polls; $6,138 on wages, salaries and
benefits; $2,604 on yard signs and
"other advertising, " and $1,516 on lit
erature, brochures and printing.
Today's crossword solution
CAMPAIGN SPENDING
Amount spent on election campaigns fay mayoral
candidates in the last three elections
Year Primary General Total Winning Losing
Election Election Candidates Candidates
1992 33,429 37,628 71,057 20,565 50,492
1996 53,523 61,945 115,468 75,433 40,035
2000 29,484 1,981 31,462 19,465 12,000
SOURCE: City Recorder's Office
Nathanson spent about $2,500 on
management services; $2,350 on "oth
er advertising;" and $743 on literature,
brochures and printing.
The candidates may also shell out
money for fundraising expenses, travel,
utilities, media advertising and postage
Eugene residents Alphonsus Donnel
ly and Eric Gross, who will also appear
on the primary ballot, have pledged to
participate in Eugene's Voluntary Cam
paign Finance Program and agreed to
limit their campaign expenditures to
$7,500. They will also refrain from ac
cepting donations of more than $ 100
from a single person or entity and not
contribute more than $500 of personal
money to their campaigns, according to
the City of Eugene Municipal Elections
website at http://www.ci.eugeneor.us/
dtyreco/elections/.
Piercy, who expects she'll need to
raise more than $100,000, said cam
paign costs have risen significantly.
"We have to spend way too much
money on elections," Piercy said. "A
few years ago, this race would have
cost $70,000."
Nathanson agreed, saying that
campaigns cost more than ever.
"It seems like the stakes appear to
be higher," she said.
Nathanson said she was surprised
when Piercy projected that it would
be necessary to raise about $100,000
for the race.
"That really got my attention," she
said. "I had not even imagined any
thing near that level. The stakes had
been raised from early on."
Piercy said increasing costs are par
tially due to voters being home less
often and monitoring their phone
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"Voters are making it harder and
harder to reach them," she said.
Nathanson agreed, saying the state's
vote-by-mail method has changed the
dynamics of the race. Whereas ballot
box voting allowed candidates to or
ganize their campaigns to have voter
contact culminate on a specific day,
candidates must now maintain contact
with voters for weeks after voting
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