Aitken tops Fennoy in campaign funding

Matt Aitken has held on to his fundraising lead in the race for the District 1 Augusta Commission seat, raising $13,130 to Bill Fennoy's $10,913, according to campaign finance disclosures on file with the Richmond County Board of Elections.

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Rainier Ehrhardt/Staff

Part-time elections worker Charles Johnson carries a "Vote Here" sign to the Minnick Park polling place on Monday.

Among Mr. Aitken's donors are developers Braye and Clay Boardman and their uncle Alonzo Boardman, who is Mayor Deke Copenhaver's father-in-law.

Other contributors are retired banker H.M. "Monty" Osteen, Windsor Jewelers chief executive Donnie Thompson and Hull-Storey Retail Group owner James M. Hull.

Mr. Fennoy's donors include Augusta Neighborhood Improvement Corp. director Robert Cooks; Howard's Upholstery, owned by state Rep. Henry "Wayne" Howard; and Tony Johnson, former city liaison for water consultant CH2M Hill.

Mr. Johnson, fired earlier this year over excessive expenses, also donated to District 5 candidate Bobby Hankerson's campaign. And Mr. Osteen also donated to Mr. Hankerson, as did Commissioner Don Grantham and former Commissioner Tommy Boyles.

District 1 candidate JoRae Jenkins reported raising $2,450, and the fourth contender for Betty Beard's seat, Butch Palmer, didn't make the Friday deadline to file or postmark his reports.

Mr. Palmer said in a phone interview that he has raised $1,600 and spent $6,000, and he had to redo his paperwork because he didn't realize he had to report $4,400 of his own money as a contribution.

District 3 candidate Joy B. Mitchell-Booker will be another late filer. She said she still hasn't raised or spent any money.

She'll have to spend some now. Both she and Mr. Palmer will be reported to the state Ethics Commission and fined $25, Richmond County Board of Elections Executive Director Lynn Bailey said. The same thing happened when Ms. Jenkins missed a Sept. 30 filing deadline.

District 3 incumbent Joe Bowles has raised $6,232 -- now more than eight times as much as opponent Cleveland O'Steen, who's still at $754, the same amount he reported in September, most of it his own money.

In the hotly contested, two-way race to replace Calvin Holland in District 5, Bill Lockett has raised $14,602 to Mr. Hankerson's $9,340.

Mr. Lockett has the largest war chest of any candidate on today's ballots, with school board candidate Patsy Scott in second place with $14,160, followed by Mr. Aitken.

However, Mr. Lockett's sum is also mostly his own money, as it includes a $9,382 loan from himself reported in his last disclosure. This time, the only individual contribution he listed was $500 from a relative in New Jersey. He reported $2,146.50 in donations of $101 or less, which don't have to be listed.

Contributions of $101 or more include:

- For Mr. Aitken, $1,000 each from Mr. Osteen, Mr. Hull, Mr. Thompson and Clay Boardman; $500 from R.W. Allen & Associates; and $250 each from Alonzo and Braye Boardman. Mr. Aitken reported raising an additional $1,704 in in-kind contributions -- $950 in office rent from Mr. Thompson and $754 worth of T-shirts from Kathie's Special T's.

- For Mr. Fennoy, $2,400 from Anthony Williamson, of Minnesota, whom Mr. Fennoy described as a family friend; $250 each from Mr. Cooks and Mr. Johnson; and $150 from Howard's Upholstery

- For Mr. Hankerson, $500 from sales tax projects manager Heery International Inc., $300 from Mr. Osteen, $250 from Mr. Johnson, $200 from Mr. Grantham and $125 from Mr. Boyles.

- For Mr. Bowles, $500 from Bowles Construction Inc., owned by his cousins; and $250 each from attorney Mike Hagler and Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Mason.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.