Quincy Quarry follows the money in record setting Quincy mayoral race

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– News about Quincy MA from Quincy Quarry News
Quincy Mayoral primary candidates spending record setting?
Per Office of Campaign and Political Finance reports, through September 15, the four mayoral primary contenders have spent over $550,000.00, with busting through $600,000.00 within reach by the primary election on September 24.
As the previous local record for spending through to the general election in November was $723,574.00, a new record is all but certain to be set this year.

What is unclear is if the new record will hit the currently projected total spending of somewhere in the mid-$900,000.00 range given recent trends or if it will end up north of a million by the time dust settles after the November general election.

To date, duly embattled incumbent Mayor Thomas P. Koch has apparently spent somewhere between $356,665.00 to $373,680.00, depending on which set of contradictory Office of Campaign and Political Finance report filings one uses.
Given his latest spending rate, embattled incumbent Mayor Thomas P. Koch is on track to spend over $600,00.oo.
In turn, spending $600,000.00 would be 37% more than the current record set in 2007.
Even net of inflation, the projected spending rate is roughly 25% more than the current Quincy mayoral election spending record.

Eye catching examples of free spending on Koch’s part include hiring three campaign consultants, obtaining the services of a high end pollster, engaging an e-media marketing firm owned by the parent company of the Patriot Ledger, contracting for the services of a vital records research firm based in Qakland CA and apparently retaining the arguable go to attorney in the Commonwealth for election recount challenges.

In short, as full a slate of hired guns as one would seek if running for the Mayor of Boston, if the not the Governor of Massachusetts.
His donations to his campaign committee similarly vary between $392,990.21 and $447,340.21 given conflicted data in various of the Koch (Campaign) Committee filings with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
A review of the donor lists finds them laden with special interests individuals and often their family members, developers, deal facilitators, city vendors – especially snow removal contractors‘ employees, city employees typically variously beholden, and the rest of the usual sorts of suspects.

Given previous reporting of Koch campaign fund anomalies as well as this candidate’s campaign account’s long history of shortcomings, Quincy Quarry is further able to report – with certitude – that Office of Campaign and Political Finance has referred matters along to its audit unit for at least a look.
In contrast, the other three candidates have – collectively – spent roughly $192,000.00 and raised $218,000.00 – again: in total.
Individually: City Councillor Doug Gutro has raised roughly $75,000.00, including a $20,000.00 loan to his campaign fund, and spent roughly $67,000.00; School Committee member Anne Mahoney has spent $45,000 and raised roughly $49, 000.00, including some of her own money; and, former Mayor Bill Phelan has raised spent $80,000.00 and raised $94,000.00, including a loan of $5,050.00 of his own money to the campaign.
Sources of funding raised by each of the three challengers is pretty much as to be expected: from family, friends, past and new supporters, the occasional work or business associate and various unions.
In short, no obvious – much less overweening – special interests.
As for spending, each challenger’s spending is prudently consistent with the modest funds available to them as well as to be expected, ranging from a campaign manager to mailings to phone bills to signage production expenses.
Expect Quincy Quarry to continue to follow the money.
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