Insider: Candidates raising, spending big bucks

SCOTTSDALE - The Sept. 2 race for four seats on the Scottsdale City Council is running in earnest, now that the ballot has been solidified.

Here's a look at how the campaign chests are doing at the June 30 mark.

Mayor's race

Incumbent Mary Manross

Manross has raised $35,212, besting her opponent by just over $2,000. Running for her third, four-year term, the mayor still has about $30,000 left to spend.

Most of the funds came from individuals, including heavy-weights Tom Sadvary, CEO of Scottsdale Healthcare, former councilmen Tom Silverman and Kevin Osterman, and others.

Candidates recently have used a blackout of addresses on their campaign finance forms, so there is no way to know if all of Manross' many donors are local.

Challenger Jim Lane

Incumbent councilman Lane's campaign account swelled to $33,105, but $22,477 is left.

Notably, he received money from Paul and Cora Messinger, two former Manross supporters who now are so pro-Lane they gave $10 over the limit. The campaign returned that amount. Attorney Louis Jekel has backed Lane, along with Michelle Aubert, the activist who tried to gut the high-tech SkySong project. Silverman gave to both Lane and Manross. And Lane returned a check from Henry Becker, the famous north Scottsdale curmudgeon.

Council: 8 candidates; 3 seats

Incumbent Ron McCullagh

McCullagh has raised the most for the council race, with an accumulated total of $25,150. He has $17,435 remaining.

McCullagh got donations from Sadvary and Melinda Gulick, a board member of the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and a vice president for developer DMB Associates. Former Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce President Virginia Korte contributed, as did real estate guru Jim Keeley.

McCullagh also has brought in quite a bit from donors in Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Philadelphia. He has substantial donations from developers and real estate interests.

McCullagh typed his campaign finance form, which makes it easier for residents to see, and exposed the home cities of his donors.

Challenger Joel BramOweth

BramOweth, the wild card, has gone kind of crazy money-wise. The businessman has a campaign account with $22,273, the second highest total behind McCullagh.

Here's the catch, though - $8,000 of that is his own money. He has raised none since February. His contributions stem largely from Phoenix, Paradise Valley and other states, with just a few from Scottsdale. Let's give him some credit for revealing all but the street addresses of his donors. BramOweth has $8,692 left to spend.

Challenger Suzanne Klapp

The low-key Klapp, who won the Chamber's endorsement recently, has a substantial campaign account. The businesswoman has accumulated $13,375 and still has $11,367 left to spend. But $5,000 of that came in the form of a personal loan.

State Rep. Michele Reagan gave her some cash, as did Gulick, Korte and Sadvary. Energy giant Salt River Project's political action committee donated to her cause. And BramOweth, of all people, gave her some cash.

Incumbent Betty Drake

Drake has raised a respectable $10,775, with $527 in the form of a loan to herself.

Sadvary donated to her campaign, as did former Councilman Kevin Osterman and his wife. Drake won a $2,000 contribution from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

Challenger Oren Davis

Davis, a relative latecomer, raised $4,220 in the form of a personal loan. The businessman has $94 left.

Challenger Nan Nesvig

Nesvig, who won fame in 2006 for getting booted from the ballot by anonymous enemies, has raised $4,080 and has $120 left to spend. The legal consultant has loaned herself $350.

She has earned some sympathy, and donations, for past wrongs from council members Bob Littlefield and Tony Nelssen, almost-mayoral-candidate Jim Derouin, and assorted activists.

Challenger Lisa Borowsky

The attorney is the sister of Todd Borowsky - the Skin Cabaret owner who famously saved lap-dancing when the council had an attack of moral rectitude. She has accumulated $3,125 and has $200 left in her account.

Challenger Tom Giller

Giller, who also entered somewhat late, brings up the rear with a total campaign chest of $2,365. The businessman and activist loaned himself $460 and has $1,687 left. He, along with Nesvig, has gotten funds from Littlefield, Derouin and Silverman.