Here’s who donated to Sedgwick County Commission candidates
Monday marked the deadline for candidates to turn in campaign finance reports, and two Sedgwick County Commissioners up for re-election easily surpassed their primary challengers in fundraising.
Republicans Michael O’Donnell and David Dennis are looking to hold onto their seats when voters head to the polls, while their opponents — Cindy Miles, Kathleen Garrison and Hunter Larkin — each are hoping for a win.
In the District 2 race, campaign finance reports show O’Donnell handily led in fundraising, amassing $37,640 in funds since Jan. 1. He started the reporting period with $72,763.84 in cash on hand thanks to a slew of contributions that came in the last half of 2019 and has spent almost as much as he raised in 2020. He was elected to the commission in 2016.
Miles — one of two primary challengers looking unseat him — raised about a fifth as much for the reporting period. The nonprofit director reported $7,120.87 in donor contributions, with $311.56 in cash on hand to start, and spent all of it, according to her campaign finance report.
Garrison, a data analyst contractor and event venue owner, raised $3,911.14 and reported about $2,900 in campaign expenses.
In District 3, fundraising results showed Dennis having twice as much cash to spend as his opponent. Dennis, who was elected in 2016, started the year with $2,746.90 banked and added another $16,600 in campaign donations since Jan. 1. He spent just over $3,700 during the reporting period, his campaign finance report shows.
Larkin, meanwhile, received $9,057.11 in campaign donations and spent just over half that for the reporting period. He had no cash on hand to start off. Larkin is the sitting Goddard City Council president, a licensed real estate agent and works for a local oil pipe manufacturer.
Only voters who live in the districts can vote in these races. District 2 represents Haysville, Clearwater and parts of southwest Wichita.
District 3 is mostly rural and includes the cities of Andale, Bentley, Cheney, Colwich, Goddard, Garden Plain, Mount Hope and Viola as well as a small part of far west Wichita.
The winners of Tuesday’s primary each will face Democratic opposition in November. Health care tech leader and administrator Sarah Lopez is vying for the District 2 seat, and retired television newsman Mike Iuen is running in District 3.
Lopez reported $25,129.33 in campaign contributions and almost $8,200 in spending for the reporting period.
Iuen ended with $3,555 in donations and nearly $1,900 in expenditures, according to his campaign finance report.
The county’s five full-time commissioners set policy and its $457 million budget. They also serve as the Board of Canvassers for the election and the Board of Health.
Commissioners are paid $95,623 annually and are elected to four-year terms.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the annual salary of a Sedgwick County commissioner.
This story was originally published August 1, 2020 at 11:57 AM.
