Analysis: Clark spent $102.59 per vote in GOP primary

By Bryan Hanks

So … which candidates to replace the late Walter B. Jones got the most bang for their buck with their campaign spending?

Some background — the latest deadline for candidates to file their campaign finance reports was April 10 for the special primary that was held April 30. To be sure, most of the campaigns raised more money between the April 10 reporting deadline and the primary, and those numbers are not reflected in this report.

However, nearly $1.7 million was reported by 18 of the 26 candidates — 14 of the 17 Republicans, four of the six Democrats — who filed by the April 10 deadline. Neither Libertarian candidate and the lone Constitutional Party candidate filed, which could be because none of them (or the three Republicans or two Democrats who didn’t report) reached the $5,000 minimum threshold the Federal Election Commission requires for filing.

Dr. Greg Murphy of Greenville and Dr. Joan Perry of Kinston finished 1-2 in the crowded GOP primary, with 9,508 votes (22.52 percent) and 6,515 votes (15.43 percent), respectively. Since Murphy didn’t receive the 30 percent threshold required for victory, Perry requested a second primary, which will be held July 9.

The two Republicans did well in fund-raising in the first primary, with Murphy collecting $317,994 — the most for any candidate in the race — and Perry raising $154,345, the fourth-most. However, Murphy’s cost per vote was $33.44 ($317,994 divided by 9,508 votes), while Perry’s was even better at $23.69.

Chimer Davis Clark Jr. raised $111,520 but only collected 1,087 votes to finish 10th out of the 17 GOP candidates, meaning his campaign spent $102.59 per vote. Frances X. De Luca ($71.72 per vote, second-most) and Graham Boyd ($54.29 per vote, third-most) finished eighth and 12th, respectively, in the Republican primary while Kinston’s Michele Nix’s campaign spent the fourth-most per voter at $52.85 per vote and finished 11th in the primary.

On the Democratic side of the ledger, Allen Thomas garnered a touch more than 50 percent of the results with 12,912 votes while raising $255,390, averaging $19.78 per vote, the most for the four reporting Democrats. Richard Bew finished second in both the election and cost per vote at $19.12.

Republicans

(Election finish) Name           Spending         Votes   Cost per vote

1. (10) Chimer Davis Clark Jr. $111,520         1,087   $102.59

2. (8) Frances X. De Luca        $119,411    1,665   $71.72

3. (12) Graham Boyd              $48,592      895      $54.29

4. (11) Michele Nix                   $48,204      912       $52.85

5. (9) Celeste Cairns                 $75,100       1,463   $51.33

6. (7) Jeff Moore                      $104,781    2,277   $46.01

7. (6) Eric Rouse                      $147,640          3,251   $45.41

8. (15) Don Cox                       $8,988             251      $35.81

9. (1) Greg Murphy*                $317,994         9,508   $33.44

10. (16) Kevin Baiko                 $4,700              171      $27.49

11. (2) Joan Perry*                   $154,345         6,515   $23.69

12. (3) Phil Shepard                 $70,234       5,082   $13.82

13. (5) Phil Law                        $26,480          3,684   $7.29

14. (4) Michael Speciale          $15,670       4,010   $3.91

DID NOT REPORT

(13) Paul Beaumont               —                    804      —

(14) Mike Payment                 —                    537      —

(17) Gary Ceres                       —                    108      —

Democrats

(Election finish) Name               Spending         Votes   Cost per vote

1. (1) Allen Thomas*               $255,390   12,912 $19.78

2. (2) Richard Bew                  $124,513    6,513   $19.12

3. (4) Ike Johnson                    $16,230     1,762   $9.21

4. (3) Dana Outlaw                  $18,354      3,258   $5.63

DID NOT REPORT

(5) Gregory Humphrey

(6) Ernest T. Reeves

Sources: N.C. Board of Elections, Federal Election Commission