Ann Arbor City Council Dems 2013: Finance
A preliminary analysis of pre-primary campaign finance reports for the two contested races in the Aug. 6, 2013 Ann Arbor city council Democratic primary shows a total of $29,230 in cash was raised by the four candidates combined, with the average cash contributor donating a bit over $128.
2013 Ann Arbor Democratic primary city council campaign contributions: All candidates. (Map by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk’s office.) Maps by candidate are included after the jump.
The deadline for filing pre-primary reports was July 26, for the period ending July 21.
Voters in the Democratic primary for Ward 3 will choose between incumbent Stephen Kunselman and Julie Grand as the Democratic candidate to appear on the November city council ballot. Grand raised the most cash of any candidate, getting donations from 68 contributors averaging about $160 apiece for a total of $10,825.
Kunselman raised $5,855 from 54 contributors. While that’s roughly half what Grand raised, it’s about twice what he received in the pre-primary period in 2011 ($2,750). That was a three-way race between himself, Ingrid Ault and Marwan Issa. The average contribution to Kunselman’s campaign this year was about $110.
In Ward 4, voters will choose between incumbent Marcia Higgins and Jack Eaton. Fourteen-year incumbent Higgins raised the least cash of any candidate, receiving $4,592 from 26 contributors for an average donation of $177.
Eaton raised $7,958 from 82 different contributors for an average donation of $97. That’s the greatest number of individual contributors of any candidate. Eaton’s total this time around is about twice as much as he raised for the same period in 2012 ($4,305), when he ran a close but ultimately unsuccessful race against incumbent Margie Teall.
Of the 228 total contributors for all four candidates (including those who contributed to more than one campaign), The Chronicle counted at least 57 contributions (25%) from people who are either current or past elected or appointed officials – including appointees to committees. Those contributions were evenly distributed across candidates: Eaton (16); Higgins (13); Grand (14); Kunselman (14).
Some current councilmembers have lent their financial support to candidates. Ward 4 challenger Jack Eaton is supported financially by Sumi Kailasapathy (Ward 1), Mike Anglin (Ward 5) and Jane Lumm (Ward 2). Incumbent Marcia Higgins has financial support from her wardmate Margie Teall as well as mayor John Hieftje.
Ward 3 incumbent Stephen Kunselman is also supported financial by Anglin and Lumm. Julie Grand has received contributions from Higgins and Teall.
Current and past campaign filing documents can be searched and retrieved from the Washtenaw County clerk’s web page. [.pdf of Grand's statements] [.pdf of Eaton's statements] [.pdf of Higgins' statements] [.pdf of Kunselman's statements]
Other coverage of the campaigns is categorized in The Chronicle as “2013 primary election.”
Presented below are charts of contribution counts, broken down by size of contribution, as well as maps showing the geographic distribution of contributions.
Contribution Counts by Size
In recent Democratic primaries, the shape of the distribution of contributions by size has been a possible indicator of success. Specifically, those candidates with a distribution skewed toward a greater number of smaller contributions have been successful.
Jack Eaton: Ann Arbor Ward 4 city council 2013 Democratic pre-primary campaign contributions. (Chart by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Marcia Higgins: Ann Arbor Ward 4 city council 2013 Democratic pre-primary campaign contributions. (Chart by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Julie Grand: Ann Arbor Ward 3 city council 2013 Democratic pre-primary campaign contributions. (Chart by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Stephen Kunselman: Ann Arbor Ward 3 city council 2013 Democratic pre-primary campaign contributions. (Chart by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Geographic Distribution
The maps below do not include contributions made from out of state. For example, members of Ward 3 candidate Julie Grand’s family, who live in Massachusetts, contributed to her campaign.
Contributions in Ward 4 (green) this year continue a trend seen in previous primaries – for many contributions to come from residents who live inside the city but outside the ward. Eaton’s geographic distribution can be identified by the tight cluster of donations in the northwest corner of the ward – where he lives. But his support is evenly distributed across the middle of the city, without regard to ward boundaries.
Based on the geographic distribution of contributions to Higgins’ campaign, it’s not evident which ward the race is in.
Jack Eaton 2013 Ward 4 (green) Ann Arbor city council campaign contributions: Democratic primary. (Map by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Marcia Higgins 2013 Ward 4 (green) Ann Arbor city council campaign contributions: Democratic primary. (Map by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
In Ward 3 (yellow), both candidates enjoyed some support from outside the ward, but Grand’s support is more clearly centered in the neighborhood where she lives – in Burns Park. She received no contributions in Ward 3 south of Buhr Park. Kunselman’s neighborhood is discernible in the geographic plot, south of Packard and west of Platt.
Julie Grand 2013 Ward 3 (yellow) Ann Arbor city council campaign contributions: Democratic primary. (Map by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
Stephen Kunselman 2013 Ward 3 (yellow) Ann Arbor city council campaign contributions: Democratic primary. (Map by The Chronicle based on data from the Washtenaw County clerk.)
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As Dave Askins points out, once again this year there are not that many people in the Fourth Ward who are contributing to the Fourth Ward candidates. A lot of the money is coming from outside the ward.
So what we have there is a “proxy war.” The neighborhoodies city-wide (Eaton’s supporters) are fighting it out with the shattered remnants of the Council Party city-wide (Higgins’ supporters), using the Fourth Ward as their battlefield.
Actually, what is remarkable is how little financial support Marcia Higgins received from her own ward.
But the “mighty Fifth” has been a strong contributor all around. (Not much for Marcia.)
Nice article and especially infographics. It made me want to read all the candidate filings which were further illuminating. I’m not sure, but Grand may have had more contributions from New England than Higgins had from the entire fourth ward.
“Actually, what is remarkable is how little financial support Marcia Higgins received from her own ward.
But the “mighty Fifth” has been a strong contributor all around. (Not much for Marcia.)”
Vivienne, not that remarkable if you actually live in the 4th Ward of talk to any of us that do. :)
It is unfortunate that people have been snowed by Eaton, a man who represents himself as a “neighborhood activist” when in reality he seems to be somebody who likes to complain about other people’s work while offering few concrete suggestions and, if possible, even less in the way work potential. “Somebody should” candidates seem to spend a whole lot of time saying ‘Somebody should blah blah blah blah…’ and it is often the parroted speak of their “supporters”. They don’t *do* a darn thing, unless being obstructionist counts. If that is what you want (and it may well be given some of the known supporters) then I guess you choose somebody you don’t have to worry will do anything “controversial” because they won’t do anything at all.
Jack Eaton, private citizen, attends more City and community meetings than any of our elected representatives (with the possible exception of Sabra). He has invested time, money, and several pairs of shoes to run for office, what, three times now? He organized the Neighborhood Alliance–a large group of citizens who are active and vote, and who are concerned that the Mayor and Council have forgotten that this is a city of neighborhoods, not just a downtown ripe for exploitation by the highest bidder. Jack had the wisdom to develop the NA into what is essentially a forum for discussion and citizen collaboration on issues–not a political group that takes positions or makes endorsements.
Yes, Jack has worked alongside hundreds of other citizens in “obstructing” some really bad ideas proposed by the current administration. I guess if I were on that side of things, I would be bitter and angry, too. But perspective is everything. From where I stand, Jack is the opposite of an obstructionist. He’s pro-park, pro-intra-city transit, pro-neighborhood, pro-citizen, pro-responsible spending, pro-preservation, pro-design guidelines and pro-good zoning. Best of all, he is a listener not a lecturer. We need a few more good listeners on Council.
Three times running, two times not elected, perhaps (hopefully) a third. Being a listener is all well and good, but, in my opinion, if you cannot act without somebody whispering direction in your ear and pointing in a particular direction, then perhaps you shouldn’t be in office. I hope there is a good turnout.
A2Eastsider, I can tell you that Jack is working without someONE person whispering in his ear. He has heard from many voters in Ward 4 as he has gone door-to-door, that they do share his priorities to focus on the basics of maintaining our infrastructure of streets,safety services, and working to solve problems with flooding. I believe that those voters will provide steadfast direction to continue to support that focus on priorities. Jack listens and responds, with action, and is perhaps the best prepared candidate for council, without yet holding a seat, that I have seen in years. Please, re-read Tom Whitaker’s assessment. He is right on. Jack will be a great new member of City Council, and will help citizens in Ward 4.
This morning’s print version of annarbor.com has a wonderful letter to the editor supporting Jack Eaton’s candidacy – written by Lou Glorie. Wish it was also on the online version.