As campaigning winds down ahead of the Nov. 7 election, an independent candidate for Charlottesville’s City Council could see just as much television airtime as her two Democratic opponents.
According to campaign finance reports that were due Monday, Nikuyah Walker spent about $7,030 on TV ads — an amount that’s about equal to what Democrats Amy Laufer and Heather Hill reported spending on TV ads from Oct. 1 to 26.
Last month, after reporting a $10,000 donation from liberal activist and donor Sonjia Smith, Walker said she planned to use the windfall to reach a broader audience over the airwaves.
Walker said Smith — the wife of Michael Bills, a hedge fund manager and former University of Virginia chief investment officer — told her that she “liked what she was hearing” from Walker’s campaign, which has been focused on challenging the city’s status quo and addressing inequity in the community.
“I’m going to be able to get in front of more people than I would have been able to otherwise,” Walker said two weeks ago about the donation.
Through last month’s reporting period, Walker raised approximately $4,600 and spent nearly $8,500, leaving her with a balance of $7,166 as of Oct. 26. The donors named in her latest report include former Councilor Dede Smith, who has given a total of $560 to Walker’s campaign this year, and local civil rights icon Eugene Williams, who contributed $200.
Walker also reported 64 donations of less than $100.
Among her largest expenses was a $1,000 payment to Kathy Zentgraf, a local restaurateur who has been managing her campaign.
Despite the surge of support Walker has seen in recent months, Hill and Laufer have received several thousand dollars more in cash and in-kind donations throughout the election year.
Through the October reporting period, Hill received nearly $7,750 in cash contributions, while her running mate, Laufer, reported $3,000 in cash contributions. Both Democrats reported approximately $1,800 of in-kind contributions from the Charlottesville Democratic Party for campaign materials, postage and advertising support.
Travis Wilburn, an adviser to Hill’s campaign and managing partner of a locally based vacation rentals and wine tourism company, contributed a combined $3,450 to both campaigns by providing a venue and food and service for a coordinated campaign event.
The largest cash contribution to Hill and Laufer in the October reporting period was from Phil d’Oronzio, chairman of the city’s Housing Advisory Committee and CEO of Pilot Mortgage LLC. D’Oronzio donated $1,000 to both candidates.
When asked whether they think a donation from the chairman of the housing committee could make city staff think the two Democrats would weigh his recommendations differently than those from staff, Laufer and Hill said they would carefully examine whatever recommendations are presented to them.
“I think he’s supporting our campaign because he wants strong leaders in our government to tackle these issues around affordable housing,” Hill said. “I think it’s become clear that we need to be working more collaboratively with our Planning Commission, the Housing Advisory Committee and our staff. … That’s really the focus for me.”
Laufer said she would work with the city’s professional staff similarly to how she has worked with the school division’s staff while on the School Board.
“The staff has an important job to the city, just like in our city’s schools,” she said.
Kenny Jackson, one of four independent candidates for the council, trails only Walker, Laufer and Hill in fundraising. He has reported nearly $15,600 in contributions so far in the race, compared with Hill’s $37,800, Laufer’s $33,400 and Walker’s $24,500.
Jackson’s most recent report lists a pair of $2,000 donations from real estate and development professionals Hunter Lewis and William Nitchman.
His largest expenses in the October reporting period included nearly $1,000 on hotel rooms.
After reporting nearly $600 in expenses at hotels in September, Jackson said he has been using the rooms as temporary office space. His latest report appears to show he spent one night at a hotel following a recent League of Women Voters candidate forum.
Jackson has said he moved to the city in January but has not found a permanent place to live. In September, he said he returns to Prince Edward County several nights a week to stay at his former home.
Residents at the Charlottesville address Jackson reported in campaign documents as his place residence have given conflicting reports about whether he lives there.
After a man who lives at the home repeatedly told a Daily Progress reporter that Jackson does not live there, Jackson told another reporter that the man who answered the door — his cousin’s boyfriend — only knows Jackson by the nickname “Kiki.” (The lawn of the property has three Jackson campaign signs, which the man said he gave Jackson permission to place there.)
A week later, Jackson’s cousin, a records specialist at the Charlottesville Police Department, said Jackson does live at the home with her. She said her boyfriend is not home very often because he normally works every day of the week. She also said her boyfriend only knows Jackson as “Kiki.”
Jackson said he has been renting hotel rooms to avoid conducting campaign business in other people’s homes.
“I live there with them. I’m not on the lease. I’m there with them until I get myself on my feet and find a decent place that I can rent,” he said.
Jackson has said he will file an affidavit to dispel the rumors about his domicile, but he has yet to do so.
City Voter Registrar Rosanna Bencoach said Jackson registered to vote at an address in the Fry’s Spring neighborhood in January. She said an ID and proof of residency are not required when registering to vote and that candidates for office are not required to provide proof of residency.
Responding to questions sent to both her and a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Elections, Bencoach said being registered to vote at an address in any municipality is enough to run for local office there.
Independent candidate Paul Long has not raised more than $1,000 this year. John Hall, another independent candidate, has been exempt from reporting his finances after reporting earlier this year that he does not plan to raise money for his campaign.
The next finance report deadline is a month after the election, but candidates will be required by law to immediately report any contributions of more than $500 within 11 days of the election.
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Portion of the crowd attending Punkin’ Chunkin’ 2017.Spectators came from across Northeast Nebraska, but the crowd size was slightly smaller for the 14th annual Punkin’ Chunkin’TM event east of Petersburg last Sunday, Oct. 29.
Ralph Weeder and his grandsons were repeat winners in the distance competition.
Mark Sullivan 