Norton outspends Sauceda in county commission race

Incumbent Tim Norton raised and spent significantly more money to keep his District 2 Sedgwick County commission seat than his Republican opponent, a political newcomer, during this campaign filing period.

Norton, a Democrat, raised $35,400 from July 27 through Thursday, records show. Ben Sauceda, his challenger, raised $19,098.

Norton spent $47,620, and Sauceda spent $12,410 during the filing period.

Norton ended the filing period with $24,759 cash on hand, and Sauceda ended the period with $8,469 on hand.

Norton got $500 contributions from Spirit AeroSystems, Warren Theatres and related companies and Waste Management as well as from individuals such as developer David Burk, construction company owner Ken Wells, lawyer Tom Docking, car dealer Joe Self, distributor Barry Schwan and Spirit CEO Jeff Turner and his wife. Political action committees from Hawker Beechcraft, the Kansas Star Casino, Wichita Realtors, the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Building and Construction Trades Council, Kansas Independent Business and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union also gave him $500 contributions. The South Sedgwick Democratic Club gave him $250, and the Wichita Area Builders Association gave him $500.

Sauceda got $6,000 from the county Republican party’s central committee, and $500 from Bosley Tire Service as well as $500 contributions from John Garvey, Petroleum Inc. and a firearms dealer from Shawnee. The Kansas Republican Party gave him $1,000 from its state operating account.

Jeff Easter, the Republican candidate for sheriff, raised $25,527 during the filing period. He started the filing period with $11,929 in cash on hand. He spent $27,111 and had $10,354 cash on hand at the end of the period.

His opponent, Democrat Jefrey Weinman, filed a report saying he had raised no money during the period.

This story was originally published October 30, 2012 at 9:14 PM with the headline "Norton outspends Sauceda in county commission race."