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FeedElection Campaign Costs For Westchester Politicians
Some spent big, others saved more. Statistics from 2009-2011 show where the buck stopped for seven candidates.
They Paid What?!
A look at how much some local elected officials spent to get their jobs
All that talk about the longest and most expensive election in American history got us thinking: How much does it cost to get yourself into office around here? The answer: It can be a lot—or not. Some candidates seemed to spend more than $10 per winning vote; others didn’t even put down 10 cents.
Campaign finance can be murky (shocking, we know), so we decided to simplify things by looking at campaigns’ accounts in the month or so leading up to elections, when those seeking office spend a lot on last-minute ads and receive a lot of checks from nervous supporters.
Below, those figures for seven candidates, from county-level politicians and city mayors to small-town justices.
|
Municipality/Title /Name/Party |
Election Year |
Funds Available at Start of Period |
Contributions Received During Period |
Expenditures Made During Period |
Winning Margin (in Votes) |
|
Westchester District Attorney Janet DiFiore (D) |
2009 | $158,268.96 | $9,050.00 | $14,920.39 | 27,874 |
|
New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson (D) |
2011 | $169,767.06 | $99,102.00 | $64,075.63 | 6,349 |
|
Harrison Mayor Ronald W. Belmont (R) |
2011 | $1,647.17 | $8,250.00 | $8,535.38 | 1,526 |
|
Bedford Supervisor Lee Roberts (R) |
2009 | $0.00 | $11,171.00 | $2,696.90 | 1,509 |
|
White Plains Councilman Benjamin Boykin II (D) |
2011 | $6,188.87 | $5,271.00 | $4,552.40 | N/A* |
|
Ossining Councilman Northern Wilcher, Jr. (D) |
2010 | $1,542.16 | $100.00 | $0.00 | 1,096 |
|
Lewisboro Justice Susan Simon (D) |
2011 | $658.88 | $502.00 | $54.00 | N/A** |
* White Plains City Council members do not run against one another directly. Those elected in 2011, all Democrats, received between 4,306 and 4,701 votes. Those who ran unsuccessfully got between 2,873 and 3,506 votes.
** Simon ran unopposed, receiving 2,584 votes.
