Politics

Campaign spending surges in legislative races

By Bill Moss, Published: November 4, 2014

Late donations boosted state Sen. Tom Apodaca's campaign war chest to $461,000 as legislative candidates in Asheville and Hendersonville piled up some of the biggest totals ever. A House race in Buncombe County has topped $1 million in spending, another was close to the million-dollar mark and eight legislative races in WNC generated more than $300,000 in campaign spending.

(The reports were scanned and posted by Carolina Public Press, a nonprofit news website. Read them here: campaign reports).
Apodaca had reported raising $426,184 in the third-quarter period ending on Oct. 18. Under state law, campaigns must report within 48 hours donations of $1,000 or more between the close of the third quarter reporting period and Election Day.
Apodaca reported $34,700 worth of such donations —14 from PACs and two from individuals — in the last few days before today's election.
Rick Wood, the Democratic nominee for the 48th Senate District, raised $55,234 through the third quarter and filed no 48-hour notices of donations.
State Rep. Chuck McGrady raised $87,555, including $5,000 in PAC donations of greater than $1,000 after the third quarter close.
Republican Rep. Tim Moffitt and Democratic challenger Brian Turner waged one of the costliest House races in the state. They raised $1,064,613 between them. Moffitt raised $542,367 ad Turner raised $612,246, according to figures from the state Board of Elections.
During a forum last month, McGrady noted the large spike in campaign spending in the N.C. mountains.
"You can't live in Western North Carolina and watch channel 13 right now and not be concerned about the rising cost of elections," he said. "They're going to spend somewhere between a half million and a million dollars on one or two House races up in Buncombe County. That's criminal. It's wrong. We don't know where the money's coming from, we don't know what it's going to be used for. Something is very wrong."

Total campaign contributions as of Tuesday:

11^th CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: Meadows $468,436, Hill $11,442

SENATE 48 Apodaca $460,884, Wood $55,234

HOUSE 117 McGrady $87,555, Mood $3,638

HOUSE 113 Chris Whitmire $42,742, Norm Bossert $29,628

HENDERSON COUNTY SHERIFF McDonald $83,859, Katz $18,420.