2010 Petaluma Campaign Expenditures – The Cost of Your Vote

Almost $200,000 Spent on 2010 Petaluma Mayor and Council Elections

Based on a review by Petaluma Tomorrow, a total of $194,677 was spent to elect two Council members and the Mayor in the November election.*  Of this, $148,709 was spent by and for Council candidates with the remaining $45,968 on the race for Mayor.  Most of the monies spent, 96%, came directly from candidate campaigns.  The remaining 4%, $8,239, was spent by two PACs on behalf of candidates.

Of note:

• Jeff Mayne spent over twice that of David Glass in his unsuccessful bid for Mayor.  Mayne’s votes “cost” $3.31 each versus a cost per vote of $1.44 for Glass;
• Expenditures for Council candidate Harris were an exceptional $60,712. This spending represented over 40% of what was spent by all eight candidates combined.  His cost per vote was $5.65;
• At the other end of the spectrum, the cost per vote for candidate Kearney was $0.48 – an irony given that Kearney was ultimately appointed to the vacant council seat;
• The most for the least was spent on behalf of Council candidate Johnson.  His cost per vote was $4.14 versus a cost per vote of $2.20 for winning candidate Barrett.

Based on the outcome of the 2010 election there is no apparent direct relationship between dollars spent and votes.  However, there appears to be a necessary but not sufficient amount between $15,000 and $20,000 that must be spent in order to win.   Fortunately other variables – track record, message, name recognition and the quality of one’s campaign – not just money, are still critical factors.

The complete review is available as part of PT’s Election Watch activities and can be viewed by clicking 2010 Expenditures.

*Total expenditures and votes and those presented for the Mayor and Council races are based on the top two candidates for Mayor, Glass and Mayne, and on eight Council candidates.  Expenditures and votes for write-ins, Council candidate Bellefeuille, and Mayoral candidates Kilgore and Lickter are excluded.