By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY — According to corrected finance reports, Mike Caskey ranks fourth in campaign spending among the nine Republican candidates for Rowan County Commissioner.
Caskey’s report for the first quarter of 2012 was not made available online until Monday, when the Rowan County Board of Elections received his corrections.
Though not included in a campaign finance story in Monday’s Salisbury Post, Caskey and Thomas J. “Jack” Eller, a Democrat, did surpass the $1,000 threshold for filing quarterly reports. They both submitted their paperwork – due April 30 – on time.
Caskey, a patrol officer and member of the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education, raised $6,832 through the end of April. That includes a $2,400 loan and $3,457 as in-kind contributions Caskey made to his own campaign.
His donors include Salisbury resident Phyllis Sides, Commissioner Jim Sides’ mother, who gave $100.
He spent $3,982 on radio advertising from Ford Broadcasting, newspaper advertising in the Salisbury Post and the Cleveland Chronicle, online advertising on the Salisbury Post website and Facebook, magnets, signs and other printed campaign materials.
Among the six Democratic candidates for county commissioner, Eller ranks second in campaign spending through the end of April.
The owner of Eller Transport raised $2,122 and spent $1,201 on signs, cards, t-shirts and newspaper advertising in the Cleveland Chronicle.
In Tuesday’s primary, 15 candidates are running against their fellow party members for a chance to fill two open seats on the Rowan County Board of Commissioners.
The rest of the Democrats are Leda Shuping Belk, Carrol Crawford, Corey Hill, Travis Summitt and Ralph M. Walton.
The others in the Republican race are Gus Andrews, Mac Butner, William “Bill” Feather, Carl Dangerfield, Laura Eller Hutchison, Joel Johnson, Gene Miller and Craig Pierce.
Contact reporter Karissa Minn at 704-797-4222.
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