July 31st marked the deadline by which incumbent Manchester officeholders were to file their financial statements, disclosing campaign contributions and expenditures. As of the time this article was published, the Office o the City Clerk had posted all incumbent filings, except Alderman at-Large Joe Kelly Levasseur, Ald. Keith Hirschmann (R-Ward 12), Ald. Garth Corriveau (D-Ward 6), Ald. Tom Katsiantonis (D-Ward 8), School Committeeman Christopher Stewart (R-Ward 3) and School Committeewoman Robyn Dunphy (R-Ward 6). Stewart and Dunphy both resigned their seats in early July, but remain obligated to file their paperwork as they were incumbents through the end of June, which marked the end of the year’s second filing requirement. Incumbents are obligated to file their reports quarterly.
Despite aggressively raising funds for her mayoral campaign, Ward 1 Alderman Joyce Craig filed a report showing no expenditures or receipts. She formed a campaign committee for her mayoral campaign and is expected to file under the provisions requiring campaign committees to make their first filing within ten days of the primary election.
Three candidates showed expenditures, including Alderman at Large Dan O’Neil, Ward 5 Alderman Tony Sapienza and Ward 10 Alderman Bill Barry. Barry was the only candidate for alderman, school board or welfare commissioner to show any receipts. Barry raised a grand total of $2,415, $250 of which came from the Manchester Professional Firefighters Local 856. Another $100 came from the Manchester Association of Police Supervisors. Both unions are currently negotiating new contracts with the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
An eye popping filing came from Mayor Ted Gatsas, who reported over $252,000 in donations. That far surpassed the $152,000 Gatsas declared during the same filing in 2013 and was more than two and a half times the $99,000 he’d raised during this period filing in 2011. In 2011, he also gave himself a $25,000 donation in the previous quarter.
Gatsas has also spent considerably less in the current filings than he did in previous years. In this filing he spent nearly $16,800, for a year to date total of about $19,000. In 2013, he’d spent over $48,100 during this quarter and almost $59,000 that year to date. In 2011, he spent nearly $27,000 during this period and over $40,400 during the first half of the year.
Gatsas received several big donations, including $10,000 from Pillsbury Realty Development, AutoFair Group, Cross Financial Corp., and EMS Management LLC.
Surprisingly few presidential candidates, or their supporting PACs, chipped in. Donald Trump donated $5,000 to His Honor as did the Fund for America’s Future, whose Honorary Chair is presidential hopeful Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC). New Jersey Governor Chris Christie donated $1,000. Kelly PAC, Senator Kelly Ayotte’s PAC, contributed $5,000. There were numerous $5,000 donors as well.
The next filing required filing period for all candidates is ten days before the September 15 primary. Candidates can file anywhere between the fifth of September and the fourteenth.
Click here for the mayor’s filing.
Click here for the mayor’s press release regarding his filings.
