Valerie Tatum, a charter-school founder who is running for the Ward 2 seat on the Little Rock Board of Directors, has outspent every other city board candidate so far, according to campaign filings posted last week.
According to her campaign-finance form, Tatum has spent $43,261 in her bid to become the Ward 2 director and raised $13,495 since July. Tatum's fundraising includes contributions to an exploratory committee she formed in March and loans from herself and a relative.
Per state law, candidates may fund their campaigns with an unlimited amount of their own money, which may be recorded as a loan from themselves that can be paid off with campaign contributions from others.
Tatum said her spending and fundraising speaks to her commitment to the city. Her largest individual expense was $8,700 for paid campaign workers. She also spent $4,000 on direct mail, according to the report.
"I just want the city of Little Rock to know that I've invested," she said.
Donors to Tatum's campaign include Claiborne Deming, retired chief executive officer of Murphy Oil in El Dorado, who gave $750, and Little Rock Municipal Airport Commissioner Gus Vratsinas, who gave $1,000.
Tatum's candidacy was in the spotlight earlier this month when city officials were informed that she lived in an address just outside of Ward 2 when she filed to run. City Attorney Tom Carpenter said he did not move forward with a court injunction to disqualify Tatum because two current board members were opposed to it.
Tatum and two other candidates are challenging Ward 2 City Director Ken Richardson for the seat he has held since 2007. Richardson raised $5,200 and spent $5,712.94, recording a negative balance when he filed Tuesday.
Former Arkansas Razorbacks football player Bert Zinamon and Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families staffer Paul Kelly both made $500 contributions to Richardson's campaign. Longtime Little Rock School District administrator J.J. Lacey contributed $100, and retired Central Arkansas Library System director Bobby Roberts contributed $200. Lottie Shackelford, Little Rock's first female mayor, gave $250, according to the report.
Richardson also received a $500 contribution from WL&J PAC.
Rohn Muse, a neighborhood activist and former member of the city's Planning Commission, reported that he raised $1,960 and spent $5,816.38. Shalonda Michelle, an activist who grew up in a Ward 2 housing project, reported raising $4,139.88 and spending $4,732.14.
Muse mostly self-funded his campaign, but received $400 from landlord Don Marshall and $380 from business owner Charles Alman. He also received $50 from Pamela Adcock and her husband. Adcock challenged Richardson for the Ward 2 seat in 2014.
Michelle received a nonmonetary contribution said to be worth $793.88 from Emeri Signs and a contribution of $500 from Little Rock lawyer Eric Buchanan. A political action committee affiliated with the Little Rock Fire Department gave Michelle's campaign $250.
The next top spender was Ward 6 City Director Doris Wright, whose opponents are credit union manager Sandy Becker, activist Vicki Hatter and blogger Russ Racop. Wright raised $22,355 and spent $18,770.90.
Wright's campaign received three contributions of $2,700, the maximum amount allowed by state law. Those came from Rick Massey, a partner at Westrock Capital, LLC, and his wife Anne Goodman Massey, and Sharla Massey, a consultant.
Becker reported expenditures of $544.29. Hatter raised $500, which came in a single donation from the AFL-CIO labor federation, and spent $208. Racop submitted a report that shows no contributions nor expenditures.
Five candidates running for the Ward 1 seat who had submitted reports to the clerk's office by Friday evening had spent a cumulative total of $27,169.71. Four of the Ward 1 candidates had not submitted reports by that time. State law does not require candidates to file if their total spending is under $500.
Ted Adkins, a retired Little Rock police officer, raised and spent the most of the Ward 1 candidates who had reported. Adkins raised $12,100 and spent $11,437.73.
Adkins' financial support included a $2,700 contribution from Stephanie Wilcox, co-chairman of Little Rock's Greek Food Festival, and a $100 contribution from Virginia Kurrus, wife of Little Rock mayoral candidate Baker Kurrus. His report also lists a $2,000 loan from Elsie Adkins. His largest individual expense was $6,784 on billboards.
Ronnie Jackson, a neighborhood association president, raised $4,680 and spent $2,431.52. Greg Henderson, publisher of Rock City Eats, raised $1,750 and spent $1,120.46. Nightclub owner Herbert Broadway put a $1,000 loan from himself into the campaign and reported spending $1,200.
Ward 1 City Director Erma Hendrix, who has served in her current position on the board since 2007, raised $1,500 and spent $900. She received two contributions of $500 from Janet Carson and Almeldra Adams, whose occupations were not listed. Little Rock Municipal Airport Commission member Jesse Mason gave Hendrix's campaign $350.
The other Ward 1 candidates -- Bryan Frazier, Curtis Johnson, Danny Lewis and Robert Webb -- had not submitted reports as of Friday evening. Frazier, the owner of Capitol View Studio, said he would submit his after the election.
The deadline was Oct. 30 at 5 p.m. Graham Sloan, director of the Arkansas Ethics Commission, said penalties for violating the state law that requires filing the forms range from cautionary letters to fines.
Ward 7 City Director B.J. Wyrick raised $19,200 and spent $11,871.63, the most of the three candidates running to represent the southwest Little Rock district.
Wyrick's campaign received seven contributions of $1,000 or more. Three of those were from Little Rock political action committees -- Progress PAC, Little Rock Fire PAC and the Arkansas REALTORS Association PAC. Progress PAC lists Buckley O'Mell, vice president of advocacy at the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce, as its resident agent.
Edmond Davis, a small-business owner challenging Wyrick for the seat, raised $5,255 and spent $4,334.76. Robert Williams, the other Ward 7 candidate, had not submitted a report as of Friday evening.
Davis' campaign received two $1,000 contributions from Gordon Johnson and Michael Brickus, whose occupations were not listed.
Ward 3 City Director Kathy Webb, who also serves as vice mayor, and Ward 5 City Director Lance Hines are up for re-election and running unopposed.
City directors are elected to four-year terms and paid $18,000 annually.
Metro on 11/05/2018