Close to half a million dollars had been paid out in taxpayer dollars to candidates in the District 15 City Council race, according to a summary by the New York City Campaign Finance Board (CFB), as of Thursday, June 17. Under the CFB’s public matching funds program, participating candidates received a total of $464,181. The summary also shows that, as of June 17, collectively, participating candidates had raised a total of $144,186 in private funds, and had spent just over a quarter of a million dollars, $251,843, collectively, on their campaigns, ahead of the June 22 primary election.

 

As previously reported, the CFB’s public matching funds program enables candidates running for office who sign up to the program, to receive $8 of taxpayer-funded dollars for every $1 raised privately by the candidates. They can then use the combined funds to run their campaigns, subject to certain rules and reporting requirements. Not all candidates chose to participate in the program.

As previously reported by Norwood News, local political and community organization, the Northwest Bronx Democrats, had alleged that some west side candidates had not been spending their campaign monies in the Bronx and had broken promises to the community. They did not mention any candidates by name but had previously endorsed Bravo, Crespo and Feliz in the special election. They chose not to endorse any candidate in the primary race, and took the same approach in the 15th City Council District race.

 

Some parts of neighborhoods like Bedford Park are covered by both District 11 and District 15 and the group had sought the input of candidates in both races, among others, in terms of deciding who to endorse. The group in question has been cited in some previous election campaign stories in the Norwood News, The Riverdale Press and City & State in the context of prior controversies surrounding their endorsement process.

 

We reviewed both the total spending and the total contributions raised by the District 15 candidates to ascertain the geographic spread of both. As of June 17, Blackwell raised $1,025 in private funds, and did not meet the threshold to receive public matching funds. In terms of contributions received, he raised $425 from Bronx residents, $75 from Manhattanites, $125 from Brooklynites, $125 from residents of New York State but outside New York City and $275 from residents outside New York State. His average contribution size was $60.

 

He spent $4,422 in outlays as of June 17. Of this, he spent no direct money in the Bronx, $129 on Facebook ads (no location is listed) and $33 on Stripe fees in California.

Bravo raised the third highest amount, $29,790, in private funds, and was awarded $124,749 in matching funds as of June 17. In terms of contributions, she received $16,505 (55 percent) from Bronxites, $1,280 (4.29 percent) from Brooklynites, $875 (2.95 percent) from Queens residents, $7,945 (26.6 percent) from Manhattanites, $450 (1.51 percent) from Staten Islanders, $1,915 (6.42 percent) from New Yorkers outside the City, and $820 (2.75 percent) from outside the State. Her average contribution size was $101.

 

She has spent $109,717 as of June 17. Of this amount, she spent $10,508 (28 percent of all spending) in the Bronx on campaign workers fees, canvassing, treasurer costs, office supplies, supplies, mailers, IT and email support, phone banking, masks, flyers and banners, and childcare costs. (Brooklyn City Councilwoman Laurie E Cumbo’s bill passed in 2018 allows candidates running for office who are parents to use a certain percentage of their funds on childcare to facilitate more parents running for office.)

 

She spent $14,905 (41 percent, the most of all her spending) in Brooklyn on palm cards, posters, mailers, digital ads, and texts. She spent $3,000 (8.2 percent) in Queens on a field organizer. She spent $3,773 (10.41 percent of all spending) in Manhattan on canvassers and a field director. She spent $372 (0.97 percent) on masks outside of New York City but in New York State. She spent $3,675 (10.14 percent of all spending) outside of New York State on campaign services, posters, Act Blue (a PAC), stickers, pins, totes, stripe fees, bank check fees and wifi service. She spent $28 (0.7 percent of all spending) on TD bank fees (no location was listed).

 

Feliz raised $33,882 in private funds, the second highest amount, and was awarded $152,800 in matching funds. Of his contributions raised, he received $21,265 (65.69 percent, the majority) from Bronxites, $2,515 (7.76 percent) from Brooklynites, $6,250 (19.3 percent) from Manhattanites, $475 (1.46 percent) from Staten Islanders, $975 (3 percent) from Queens residents, $325 (1 percent) from New Yorkers outside the City, $565 (1.74 percent) from residents outside the State. His average contribution size was $120.

 

He has spent less than half of what his nearest rival, Bravo, has spent to date i.e. $44,595, and as of June 17, had the most in remaining reserves at $142,087 with just 4 days remaining before the primary (as of June 17).

 

Of his total outgoings, he spent $15,651 (35.6 percent) in the Bronx on petitions, advance repayments, flyers, campaign worker fees, office expenses, campaign literature, $9,801 (22.32 percent) in Brooklyn on campaign mailings, $1,073 (2.44 percent) in Manhattan on campaign workers, $163 (0.37 percent) in New York State but outside the City on wifi, and $17,230 (39.24 percent, the majority) outside of New York State on texts, stripe fees, Facebook ads, check fees, mailers, emails, and petitions.

 

Ferrara has raised $13,780 in private funds, for which she was awarded $66,640 in matching funds. In terms of contributions received, she raised $9,575 (79.85 percent, the majority) from Bronxites, $345 (2.8 percent) from Manhattanites, $350 (2.91 percent) from Queens residents, $1,460 (12.17 percent) from New Yorkers outside the City, and $260 (2.16 percent) from residents outside the State. Her average contribution size was $87.

 

Meanwhile, she had spent $29,941 as of June 17, of which she spent $1,016 (11.54 percent) in the Bronx on campaign workers, professional expenses, fundraising costs and posters, $4,646 (52.77 percent, the majority) in New York State but outside the City on TV ads and a legal retainer, and $3,142 (35.69 percent) outside of New York State on stripe fees and radio ads.

 

Meanwhile, Lozano raised $1,365 as of June 17, in private funds. She did not qualify for matching funds. In terms of contributions received, she got $1,220 (84.4 percent – the majority) from Bronxites, $200 (13.8 percent) from Brooklynites, and $25 (1.73 percent) from Manhattanites. Her average contribution size was $41.

 

She has spent $1,140 as of June 17, of which she spent $23.75 (100 percent of outlays) outside of the State of New York on stripe fees.  She had outstanding liabilities of $1,116.

 

Sanchez raised $43,365 in private funds, the. most of any candidate, for which he was awarded $119,992 in public matching funds. In terms of contributions, he received $9,916 (42.47 percent) from Bronxites, $4,165 (17.84 percent) from Brooklynites, $1,325 (5.6 percent) from Queens residents, $95 (0.4 percent) from Staten Islanders, $10,074 (43.15 percent, the majority) from Manhattanites, $1,075 (4.6 percent) from New Yorkers outside the City, and $1,695 (7.26 percent) from residents outside New York State. His average contribution size was $91.

 

He spent $58,611 as of June 17, of which he spent $25,927 (65.86 percent, the majority) in the Bronx on campaign consulting, postage, office rental, professional services, day of action expenses, office supplies, bank fees, and legal services, $7,250 (18.4 percent) in Manhattan on campaign consulting, $1,127 (2.86 percent) in New York State but outside the City on office insurance and “append cell to file”, and $5,059 (12.85 percent) outside of New York State on advertising, transaction fees, Act Blue (a PAC), bank fees, Stripe fees, campaign consulting fees, office supplies, and other fees. He had outstanding liabilities of $19,248.

 

Sepúlveda had, at one point, raised $20,980 in private funds, before he dropped out of the race. He did not receive matching funds according to the latest filing. In terms of contributions, he received $6,420 (28.36 percent, the majority) from Bronxites, $2,480 (10.9 percent) from Brooklynites, $850 (3.75 percent) from Queens residents, $3,560 (15.72 percent) from Manhattanites, $5,050 (22.31 percent) from New Yorkers outside the City, and $4,275 (18.8 percent) from residents outside New York State. His average contribution size was $137.

 

He had spent $3,419, made up of $87 (2.54 percent) in the Bronx on strategy meetings, $2,409 (70.4 percent, the majority) in Manhattan on web services and voter ID software, $884 (25.85 percent) outside of New York State on Stripe fees, paper checks, contact software, maintenance fees, paper statement fees, and banking fees, and $39 (1.14 percent) on graphic design fees (location not listed).

 

Proportional to the amount of money they had available to them, Sanchez spent the most (65 percent) in the Bronx, followed by Feliz (35.6 percent), Bravo (28 percent), Ferrara (11.54 percent), Sepulveda (2.54 percent) and then Lozano and Blackwell, who both spent $0 in the borough.

 

Meanwhile, in terms of hard dollars spent locally in The Bronx, Sanchez spent the most, $25,927, followed by Feliz with $15,651, Bravo with $10,508, Ferrara with $1,016 and Sepulveda with $87. As above, Lozano and Blackwell both spent $0 in the borough.

 

Sanchez raised $15,000 in loans for his campaign in addition to the money raised through private funds. Norwood News double-checked with the CFB if the loans raised by his campaign were used to receive additional public matching funds, and we were informed that they were not and that only the funds raised privately from residents were used as the basis for calculating public matching funds.

 

As reported, we performed a similar exercise for the District 11 candidates.