These Mecklenburg commissioner candidates lead in fundraising, finance records show
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The at-large race for the Mecklenburg County Board of County Commissioners has produced two leading fundraisers — one incumbent and a challenger.
The at-large race is the most expensive of the three primaries for the Board of County Commissioners, primarily because it is the most crowded. The six Democratic competitors have pulled in a combined total of nearly $200,000 in the lead-up to Tuesday’s election. Voters can select up to three.
Candidates in the two other primaries for county commissioners — in District 2 and District 6 — have raised far less.
Donors included people employed at banks, law firms, real estate firms and educational institutions.
The two top fundraisers are incumbent at-large commissioner Leigh Altman and current school board member Jennifer De La Jara, both Democrats. Altman raised nearly $75,000 between January 2021 and May of this year; De La Jara raised about $94,000, according to publicly available financial disclosure forms due Tuesday.
Candidates in the Democratic primary also include incumbent Pat Cotham, former school board member Arthur Griffin Jr., self-employed education and political consultant Yvette Townsend-Ingram and small business owner Trina Boyd.
How much they’re raising, and who’s giving
De La Jara gathered many of her donations from people involved in education, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board member Margaret Marshall; George Battle, a vice chancellor at UNC Chapel Hill; and Elyse Dashew, the CMS board chair.
Like other candidates, she got money from a variety of other individuals. That includes $1,000 from Hugh McColl, the former CEO and chairman for Bank of America, $350 from state Sen. Jeff Jackson, as well as donations from attorneys and people involved in real estate.
Altman’s donations include $250 from Jackson, $250 from Patrick Mumford, the president and CEO of the Gaston County Business Association, and several real estate agents.
Griffin is the next leading fundraiser. He raised more than $41,000 over the past year and a half, with contributions from state Rep. Carla Cunningham, who donated $200; $2,000 from Rob Nanfelt, the executive director of the Charlotte Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition; $150 from District Attorney Spencer Merriweather; $500 from county commissioner George Dunlap; $250 from Cotham; $250 from commissioner Vilma Leake; $500 from interim commissioner Wilhelmenia Rembert.
Cotham reported raising about $10,600 this election cycle. Her donations have included $500 Jackson, $2,000 from the North Carolina Realtors PAC, and $5,600 from John Cotham, her ex-husband. She is serving her fifth term on the Board of County Commissioners.
Townsend-Ingram reported raising just shy of $1,300. Cotham donated twice, once with $100 and again with $200.
Trina Boyd, a Democrat, was below the threshold needed to file financial disclosure forms.
Two other primaries
The District 2 primary in west Charlotte has been less expensive.
Democratic incumbent Vilma Leake hasn’t raised any money this election cycle, but has $3,200 in the bank. She’s currently serving her seventh term as a county commissioner.
Her competitor, Angela White Edwards, is below the threshold
In the only other primary, in District 6 between two Republicans, Desiree Zapata Miller has reported raising more than $10,500. Her competitor, Jeremy Brasch, is below the threshold.
Miller’s donors include Republican city councilman Ed Driggs and Eric Laster, the board chair of Edifice, a general contractor in Charlotte. Driggs donated $250 and Laster donated $1,000.
The Board of County Commissioners is currently held entirely by Democrats. The winner of the District 6 race will face Democratic incumbent Susan Rodriguez-McDowell.
This story was originally published May 15, 2022 at 6:00 AM.
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