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Republican Sue Finkam significantly outraised Democrat Miles Nelson over the past six months in the Carmel mayoral campaign, according to campaign finance reports posted online Sunday and Monday by the Hamilton County Election Office.
Finkam raised $675,114 during the reporting period between April 8 and Oct. 13, and $91,146 in the week after the reporting deadline, bringing her total amount of money raised during the election cycle to $912,110.
Nelson raised $330,822 during the reporting period and an additional $3,000 in the week after the reporting deadline, giving him $463,084 raised during the election cycle.
Finkam also spent $462,765 during the reporting period, while Nelson reported $326,927 in expenditures.
The Finkam campaign ended the reporting period with $280,797 in cash on hand as of Oct. 13. Nelson’s campaign reported $117,681.
Finkam and Nelson are running to succeed seven-term Mayor Jim Brainard and lead a city that has grown from suburb of 30,000 people into a regional powerhouse with more than 100,000 residents, more than 150 corporate headquarters, 148 roundabouts (and counting), and high-profile areas such as the Arts & Design District, City Center and Midtown.
The election is Nov. 7, and early voting is underway.
Finkam’s largest donors
Finkam’s largest donation was from Terry Baker, president of Indianapolis-based HWC Engineering, who donated $10,100.
Stephen Hilbert, who co-founded Carmel-based Conseco Inc. (now CNO Financial Group Inc.) contributed $10,000 to Finkam. Lucas Oil Products CEO Forrest Lucas, CRG Residential CEO Christopher Reid and Carmel resident James Brown also donated $10,000.
Mike Wells, president of Carmel-based REI Investments Inc., contributed $7,500.
Companies, organizations and law firms also made large contributions to Finkam’s campaign.
Indianapolis-based Card & Associates Athletic Facilities donated $15,000 during the reporting period and another $25,000 after Oct. 13.
Carmel-based Allied Solutions donated $25,000 during the reporting period.
Indianapolis-based Bose McKinney & Evans LLP donated $22,000.
Finkam also received $11,000 from Minneapolis-based Faegre Drinker Biddle & Leath LLP and $10,500 from Carmel-based Eighty Sixth Street Retail Partners LLC.
Companies and firms that donated $10,000 to Finkam were Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg, Indianapolis-based Buckingham Cos., Fishers-based Envoyo Construction Service LLC, South Bend-based DLZ Indiana LLC.
Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen’s campaign, Jensen for Noblesville, donated $10,000.
Political action committees that made large donations to Finkam included MIBOR RPAC ($15,000), Taft Stettinius & Hollister Better Government Fund ($10,000) and DPBG Political Action Committee ($9,500).
Nelson’s largest donors
Nelson’s largest individual donation came from Marianne Glick, a leader of philanthropy and volunteer service in central Indiana as the Glick Family Foundation’s board chair. She contributed $10,750 to Nelson’s campaign.
CNO Financial Group Inc. Chief Investment Officer Eric Johnson donated $9,298.
Mickey Maurer, an entrepreneur and shareholder in IBJ Media, which owns IBJ, contributed $8,000.
Members of the Simon family, which founded Simon Property Group, also donated to Nelson’s campaign. The company owns the largest number of shopping malls in the United States.
Nelson received $5,000 from Deborah Simon, a philanthropist and daughter of Simon Property co-founder Melvin Simon. He also received $5,000 from Cindy Simon Skjodt, sister to Deborah Simon. Rachel Simon, daughter of Herb Simon, contributed $2,500.
Brad Gershman, a partner with Indianapolis-based Gershman Partners Inc., donated $5,000.
Nelson also received large corporate donations from Carmel-based HQ Entities LLC ($10,000) and Indianapolis-based Kreig DeVault LLC ($7,000).
The Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters, a labor organization, contributed $10,000 to Nelson during the reporting period and $15,000 total for the campaign.
Better Indiana PAC, a political action committee that looks to help elect progressive politicians in Indiana, donated $11,000 to Nelson.
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You can see that Finkum & Nelson will be representing these big donors not Carmel residents. Likewise Finkum will be representing other politicians whose campaign war chest gave her money.