With the latest round of campaign finance reports for the fall elections due today, it’s still unclear where the bulk of the Baton Rouge business community’s support will go—or whether the business community as a whole will even come to a consensus behind a single candidate.
At this point, state Sen. Mack “Bodi” White, R-Central, is leading the pack by far in terms of dollars raised. As Daily Report reported on Tuesday, White raised more than $383,000 during the three-month reporting period that ended July 31, and has nearly $372,000 in cash on hand.
His contributors include dozens of his fellow state legislators, law firms such as Fishman Haygood, and well-known names in the Baton Rouge business community like Performance Contractors owner Art Favre, Wampold Development, Donnie Jarreau Real Estate, Cox Communications and the Louisiana Realtors PAC.
Citizens for a Better Baton Rouge, an independent super PAC created by White’s friend and supporter, Eddie Rispone, has raised $105,000, including $50,000 from Rispone, $30,000 from Favre and $25,000 from David Roberts, owner of EXCEL Group.
Democratic candidate and former state Sen. Sharon Weston Broome, who led the crowded field in fundraising earlier this year and had $105,000 on hand going into the three-month reporting period, raised more than $61,000 between May 1 and July 31, and currently has more than $76,000 on hand.
Her contributors also include a sprinkling of law firms and legislators—and even includes some of the same names on White’s list, which suggests donors are still hedging their bets.
Among the contributors to Broome’s campaign during the recent reporting period are Lamar Advertising CEO Sean Reilly, lobbyist Courson Nickel and Collis Temple Contractors.
Downtown realtor and no party candidate Darryl Gissel shows a strong cross section of support and an impressive war chest for a first-time candidate. His receipts total more than $133,000, including $53,000 in cash contributions from well-known community activists and philanthropists like the Turner family, Bettsie Baker Miller, Chet Kleinpeter and Walter Comeaux.
Gissel’s report also shows that more than $23,000 in contributions have come from in-kind donations from, among others, graphic artist Phil Cangelosi, video producer Sonny Cranch and public relations executive Angela deGravelles, who have been working on his campaign for free.
Republican Metro Councilman John Delgado had not filed his report as of press time nor had Democratic state Rep. C. Denise Marcelle. Candidates have until midnight to file. During the previous reporting period, Delgado showed total receipts of more than $87,000, including $65,000 in cash contributions. Marcelle had not entered the race when the first round of campaign finance reports was due, but told Daily Report on Tuesday she had raised some $20,000 so far.
Other candidates in the race that had filed reports as of press time include: former Metro Councilman R.J. “Smokie” Bourgeois, who has raised more than $13,000 and currently has $1,230 on hand; Greg LaFleur, who has raised some $10,000 and currently has $43 on hand; B.J. Amador, who has raised $245 and has no money on hand; and Braylon Hyde, who has not raised any money.
—Stephanie Riegel
