The cost of running a campaign
Published 4:16 pm Monday, June 14, 2010
Candidates for Butler County Sheriff Kenny Harden and Danny Bond spent a combined $17,723.93 on the race for the primaries.
This total does not include the expenditures of James Moorer, as his expenditures were below the $1000 disclosure threshold set by the Alabama Fair Campaign Practices Act.
Probate Judge Steve Norman said nothing is unusual about these figures.
“Looks to me like they all ran pretty conservative campaigns,” Norman said. “Some of that, remember, was qualifying fees.”
The political party that the candidate is running under sets qualifying fees, Norman said. On the itemized expenditure form, Kenny Harden lists a total of $1341.88 to qualify as a democratic candidate.
Incumbent sheriff and democratic primary victor Kenny Harden reported $12,832.93 in expenditures. Harden accrued $10,150 in itemized contributions, $135 in-kind contributions and $3600 in form of a loan.
Danny Bond ran a leaner campaign, reporting $4891 in expenditures and no campaign contributions.
James Moorer, who claimed nearly 20 percent of the vote, was not forced to disclose his expenditures because they fell below the $1000 threshold.
“I think James was a fairly unusual candidate in that he had never participated in any election process before,” Norman said. “But whatever he did, he was still pretty effective.”
Campaign finance information is a matter of public record, and anyone may visit the Butler County probate office to view itemized lists of contributions and expenditures.