SUFFOLK
The candidate who has reported raising the most money so far for the city's November elections isn't one of the seven people running for mayor.
He doesn't even have a challenger.
Robert Barclay IV has raised $16,365 in his campaign for the Sleepy Hole Borough council seat, according to the financial reporting period ending July 15. Barclay, a lawyer and vice chairman on the Virginia Port Authority's Board of Commissioners, is unopposed. He could not be reached for comment Friday.
The latest round of campaign-finance reports suggests that the November elections in Suffolk are going to be pricey.
The Sleepy Hole seat is open because the would-be incumbent is running for mayor. That's Linda Johnson, who has raised less than Barclay through mid-July but still outdistanced the rest of the crowded mayoral field. She has raised almost $13,500.
Challenger Mike Debranski has pulled in the second-most so far in the mayor's race, with $5,550.
Former mayor Bobby Ralph, a Debranski supporter, said he expects the mayor's race to easily pass the record fundraising mark that the 2006 council races set. That year, eight candidates running for four spots raised more than $100,000.
Ralph, the mayor at the time, raised the most in 2006 - more than $22,000 - and lost his seat.
This year, candidates for mayor and three council seats have reported raising a total of almost $40,000 with three months to go, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project. Ralph said he doesn't expect the campaign to really pick up until September.
This is the first time the public will elect the mayor, as opposed to having council members appoint one of themselves to the post.
After Johnson and Debranski, none of the five other mayoral candidates has reported raising more than $1,000.
Tom Powell has reported $550 through July 15. He said he has received a lot of positive feedback from potential donors and noted that it's still early.
"I'm not discouraged one bit," he said.
Roger Leonard reported that he has not received any contributions. He said he told donors to hold off until recently because he didn't want to tip his hand at who was supporting him yet. The checks are now coming, he said. The next reporting deadline is Sept. 15.
"I'll more than likely have a fairly siz able report then," he said.
Dave Forster, (757) 222-5563, dave.forster@pilotonline.com
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To Roger Leonard
Someone saw fit to eliminate my last post so I'll attempt to reword it, though I didn't see anything wrong with it, before. Mr. Roger Leonard, since you are running for the Whaleyville seat, why should I send my money to support you since you would not be representing me? Also, I do not think that this comment section is the proper place to be soliciting funds for one's city council candidate run.
Roger Leonard
So I suppose you want people to donate to your campaign for city council? Why should I do that, when you will represent the Whaleyville Borough, and I don't live there. Curtis Milteer will be difficult to unseat because he has been there for ages, and his constituents will vote him back in, time after time. Granted, he is not very effective, but that means nothing to his constituents.
money for what????
Please pardon me if I sound ignorant here, but what's all the money for? Ok, I understand a few (seems like million) ads, signs and posters. But after that whats all the money needed for? It's not like these guys have to fly all over the country campaigning. Come to think of it, they should have to spend their own money to get the job as not have certain things looked at with scrunity later during their job, if they were to win the posistion. Using other peoples contributions for personal gain just looks bad, no, it is bad! The local "herald" should be required to offer one page a couple times a month for election ads, their return would be the number of people who purchased the paper that normally wouldn't to see the ads. How many times have we heard in the past a question of a council member voting for something a big supporter has in the works? Spend their own money to get the job and this would stop.
Campaign notice:
If you are interested in sending support for a change in Suffolk Government, please send it to:
Roger A. Leonard for MAYOR
550 North Liberty Spring Road
Suffolk, VA 23434
rogerflys@aol.com
Thanks for your support and we can change the way Suffolk is run...
Questions
Unopposed candidates can be dangerous for the well-being of city. I find it interesting that Mr. Barclay also sits on the VPA commission. Will there be a conflict? Did he support the unconstitutional Transportation Authority and what is his position on the current situation with the funding of roads especially those that run through Suffolk? Is he a conservative spender or does he believe in high taxes and throwing money at any problem that may arise, i.e. school system? Will he be proactive in finding a solution to the Kings Highway Bridge and the Indian Village?