Carter County voters are heading to the polls today to cast their votes in a number of races, including the two top races for mayor and sheriff.
Candidates seeking election are required by law to file campaign finance reports with the county’s Election Commission, with the most recent round filed on July 31. The Star obtained copies of the reports, which are public record, to see what the candidates in these two hotly contested races are spending on their quest for public office.
Carter County Mayor Leon Humphrey has spent $12,938.49 so far in his bid for re-election. Those figures cover his reported expenditures from Jan. 9 through July 28 and include spending for the Republican primary election in May as well as spending for the general election taking place today.
July marked his biggest expenditures during a single month, with his reported spending of $3,484.05 from July 1-28.
Humphrey’s opponent – Kent Williams – has spent more than twice that amount – a total of $26,851.23 in his campaign for county mayor. Those figures cover his reported expenditures from Jan. 16 through July 28.
July was also Williams’ month for the largest expenditures, when his reported expenses totaled $11,105.94.
Expenditures reported by Williams reflect only money spent on the general election since, as an independent candidate, he did not participate in the primary election.
Humphrey’s campaign finance report shows he is running a self-funded campaign for office and has received no political campaign contributions.
Williams reports contributions from area residents and business owners as well as donations received from outside sources. Tennessee First, a Nashville-based Political Action Committee, donated $1,000 to Williams’ campaign, as did the Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers PAC, according to the report filed by Williams.
The Tennessee Realtors PAC also donated $250 to Williams’ campaign.
Additionally, Williams received funding from other political campaigns’ PACs. A group listed as “Friends of Judy V” donated $1,500 to his campaign. He reported receiving $500 from the “Dennis Roach Campaign Fund” in Rutledge and $100 from the “Committee to Elect Bob Ramsey” in Maryville.
Williams also reported a total of $2,000 in campaign contributions from four Nashville-based restaurant owners as well as $300 donated by OPM Properties of Shelbyville.
Transfers of funds from his state representative campaign fund to his county mayor campaign fund were also reported by Williams.
In the race for Carter County sheriff, write-in candidate and current Sheriff Chris Mathes has outspent his opponent, Republican nominee Dexter Lunceford. Mathes lost the primary election in May to Lunceford and subsequently launched a write-in campaign to retain the post of sheriff.
During the period from April 27 through July 31, Mathes spent a total of $21,774.62. During that same time period, Lunceford spent a total of $5,202.87.
For the month of July, Mathes reported expenditures of $8,229.18.
That amount exceeds the total campaign costs reported by Lunceford for both the primary and general elections. Lunceford’s campaign finance reports show reported expenditures from July 1, 2013, through July 28, 2014, totaling $7,930.50.
Both Mathes and Lunceford reported outstanding loan obligations in their campaign finance reports. Mathes reported $6,000 in outstanding loans while Lunceford reported $1,800 in loan debt. Both candidates also reported receiving campaign contributions from area residents.