Editor’s note: this article has been updated to correctly state Maggie Blackwell’s fundraising figures. An error was made in Blackwell’s original submission to the Rowan County Board of Elections. 

Salisbury’s City Council race is turning into a high-dollar affair.

In the latest campaign finance filings, the total amount of money raised for the election topped $70,000. It’s lower than most races for N.C. General Assembly and other statewide offices, but noticeably higher than city council competitions in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Four campaigns — Karen Alexander, Mark Lewis, David Post and Tamara Sheffield — represent a majority of the money — about $38,000. However, Post is self-funding his campaign.

One reason for the large sum of money involved in Salisbury’s City Council race may be the record number of candidates running for office — 16. Individual campaign fundraising isn’t significantly larger than usual. Combined, however, the sums are larger than recent municipal elections, according to Rowan County Board of Elections records.

Alexander and Sheffield have been the top fundraisers from the outset. In the latest filings — from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19 — Alexander remains at the top for the entire 2015 campaign, with Sheffield close behind. A nearly $3,000-dollar gap separates the top two from Post. Candidate Mark Lewis is fourth with $7,045 raised for the entire city council campaign. Candidate Kenny Hardin rounds out the top five at about $6,900 raised to date.

For fundraising during the pre-election period, however, two different candidates took the top spots. Candidate Scott Maddox raised $4,925, some of which was his own money, from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19. During the same period, candidate Brian Miller raised $4,444.56.

Notable donors who made multiple contributions during the pre-election period include: F&M Bank executive Steve Fisher, who doled out $525, splitting it evenly among Alexander, Blackwell, Rip Kersey, Lewis, Maddox, Miller and Sheffield; former Republican Party chairman and businessman John Leatherman, who gave $200 each to Alexander, Kersey, and Maddox; and outgoing City Councilman Pete Kennedy’s campaign committee, which gave $50 each to Alexander and Miller.

Summaries of each candidate’s pre-election campaign finance reports — starting Sept. 23 and ending Oct. 19 — are included below. Candidates Roy Bentley and Troy Russell didn’t turn in their reports by Monday’s deadline. Candidates William Peoples and Jeff Watkins haven’t raised or spent enough money to be required to file reports.

A small portion of the money in campaign accounts of Alexander, Blackwell, Lewis and Miller is left over from prior election years.

Karen Alexander

Alexander has raised $12,165 over the course of the entire city council campaign. She has spent $5,745.90. Her campaign account has $6,451 remaining, according to reports filed on Monday.

The largest portion of her donations from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19 were $50 or less.

Significant contributions to Alexander’s campaign during the pre-election reporting period include: $50 from Kennedy, $75 from Fisher, $100 from Summit Developers President Clay Lindsay and $200 from Leatherman.

Alexander’s largest contributions during the pre-election reporting period were both from local attorney Edward Norvell, who is also the treasurer for Blackwell’s campaign. Norvell gave Alexander a total of $500 in two separate donations.

Stephen Arthur

Arthur’s campaign has raised a total of $241.98 during the entire campaign period. All of the campaign’s money is Arthur’s own.

He has spent $226.98 during the entire campaign.

Maggie Blackwell

Blackwell has raised about $6,700 during the entire city council campaign. She has spent about $6,960. At the end of the pre-election reporting period, her campaign account contained $513.24. She had money leftover from a prior campaign.

Blackwell received a $75 donation from Fisher. CEO of Salisbury-based Global Contact Services Greg Alcorn and local attorney Edward Norvell, also the treasurer for her campaign, have both donated $500 to Blackwell, according to the latest reports.

Kenny Hardin

Hardin has raised $6,897.72 during the entire city council campaign. He has spent $6,227.61. His campaign account contained $670.11 at the end of the pre-election reporting period.

A large portion of Hardin’s donations from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19 were $50 or less.

The largest contribution to Hardin’s campaign — $264 — was from himself. He received $200 from Rowan County Sheriff Kevin Auten.

Constance Johnson

Johnson has raised $1,898 during the entire city council campaign. Her campaign reports show she has spent $1,899.

A majority of money in Johnson’s campaign account is her own. A total of $1,175 is labeled as in-kind contributions, or non-monetary donations.

Rip Kersey

Kersey has raised a total of $1,495.59 during the entire city council campaign. He has spent a total of $1,100.74, leaving $394.85 in his campaign account.

Kersey received a contribution from Fisher. His largest contribution from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19 was $200 from Leatherman.

Mark Lewis

Lewis has raised a total of $7,045 during the entire city council campaign and spent a total of $6,344.62. Lewis’ campaign account contained $3,347.91, according to the latest finance reports.

He received $800 from members of Cornerstone Church during the pre-election reporting period. He received eight individual donations from eight staff members, including Pastor Bill Godair.

Fisher donated $75 to Lewis’ campaign.

Brian Miller

Miller has raised a total of $5,425.76 during the entire city council campaign and spent $5,431.76. The latest finance reports show he has $194.97 left in his campaign account.

Nearly all of Miller’s donations during the pre-election reporting period are from local business owners or executives.

His largest two contributions are $250 from Global Contact Services CFO Bryan Overcash and $400 from Salisbury resident James Greene Jr.

Fisher donated $75 to Miller’s campaign.

Scott Maddox

Maddox has raised $6,023 during the entire campaign and spent just over $3,900. The latest finance reports show he has about $2,100 in cash on hand.

Significant contributions to Maddox’s campaign during the pre-election period include: $300 from Wallace Realty owner Robert V. Wallace, $200 from Leatherman, $200 from Norvell and $75 from Fisher. Maddox also gave $1,050 of his own money to his campaign. Other than his own, the largest contribution to Maddox’s campaign from Sept. 23 to Oct. 19 was the $300 from Wallace.

Todd Paris

Paris’ campaign did not receive any contributions during the pre-election reporting period. However, he spent $1,517. 61.

For the entire campaign, Paris has raised $5,035 and spent $3,597.50. He has $1,437 in cash on hand, according to the latest finance reports.

David Post

Post is self-funding his campaign for city council. So far, he has contributed $8,010 of his own money to his campaign. He contributed $3,000 to his campaign during the pre-election reporting period.

At the end of the reporting period, Post had $3,275.40 in cash on hand.

Tamara Sheffield

Sheffield has raised a total of $10,996.79 during the entire campaign and spent $8,674. She has $2,322.73 in cash on hand, according to the latest finance reports.

Sheffield’s largest contribution during the pre-election reporting period came from Salisbury resident Elizabeth Poole.

Other significant contributions include: $75 from Fisher, $75 from former Historic Salisbury Foundation Director Brian Davis and $100 from State Democratic Party Second Vice Chair Veleria Levy.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.