Who's funding Lansing City Council candidates? Donors pour tens of thousands into race

Sarah Lehr
Lansing State Journal

This article has been updated with information about Julee Rodocker's fundraising.

LANSING — Candidates have so far reported more than $50,000 in donations heading into the Aug. 6. Lansing City Council primary race.

First Ward contender Scott Hughes brought in $10,175, more money than any other candidate in the nonpartisan race thus far.

Hughes is competing against four other people for one seat representing northeast Lansing. 

"We’ve been running a grassroots campaign," said Hughes, a community outreach coordinator for the Ingham County Prosecutor's office. "We’ve had a lot of contributions from neighbors, friends, family and supporters."

Yanice Jackson-Long, an account clerk for the Ingham County Treasurer's office, is ahead in fundraising for council's at-large race.

Jackson-Long, who raised $8,056, is among six candidates vying for two at-large seats.

Here's what we know about the biggest donors, based on pre-election disclosure reports filed last month. "Total money raised" reflects monetary donations, known as direct contributions. That total does not include in-kind donations of goods and services.

1st Ward, northeast Lansing

Top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 5 general election.

Scott Hughes

  • Total money raised: $10,175
  • Largest donation: $1,022 from Ryan Basore, listed as an East Lansing consultant with Michiganbase, LLC.
Scott Hughes is running for a Lansing City Council seat, representing the city's 1st ward.

Jody Washington

  • Total money raised: $7,500 this election cycle plus $2,450 from previous campaign
  • Largest donation: $5,000 from Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 333

“There will be, of course union donations, because I received all of the labor endorsements," said Washington, who is serving her second term on the council. "The rest of the money came from friends."

Washington is a legal affairs specialist for the Michigan Department of Corrections.

Brandon Betz

  • Total money raised: $5,910
  • Largest donation: $1,022 from Brandon Betz (self)

"I think it's been pretty successful," Betz, an economist, said of his pre-primary fundraising. "I know it's not as much as Scott raised but, honestly, I don't think we necessarily need ten grand to win an election."

An online record of Betz' pre-election disclosure report, due July 26, does not include a required cover sheet, summarizing donation and expenditure totals. Betz said his campaign submitted an amended report to the Ingham County clerk this week to include that summary.

Officials with the Ingham County Clerk's office plan to send notices of errors and omissions to candidates later this week.

James Pyle

  • Total money raised:  $2,496
  • Largest donation: $250 from Kenneth Ross of Lansing, a vice president at John Hancock Life Insurance. Ross is a longtime friend, Pyle said.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum sent a warning letter to Pyle in July over yard signs that did not list the address of his fundraising committee. Under Michigan law, campaign materials, such as signs or flyers, must include the name and address of the person or group who paid for the materials.

"It was my first campaign, so I'm going to make some errors for sure," Pyle said, adding that he's since fixed the issue with stickers that include his address. Pyle works as a real estate agent.

Farhan Sheikh-Omar

  • Total money raised: $0

Although Shiekh-Omar listed $0 in cash donations, he also reported $1,508 worth of signs and flyers that had been donated to his campaign,

He failed in his pre-election report, however, to list the name and address of the person who donated the signs and flyers. Sheikh-Omar said he donated those materials to his own campaign and did not realize he had to list himself as a donor.

Earlier this summer, Sheikh-Omar received a warning letter from the Ingham County clerk over unstamped flyers that lacked a paid-for disclaimer. The flyers used the official seal of the city of Lansing, which prompted City Attorney Jim Smiertka to send a warning letter June 13, admonishing Sheikh-Omar for unauthorized use of the city's logo.

"I made honest mistakes and I plan on learning from my mistakes," Sheikh-Omar, a student at Lansing Community College, said in a statement. "Not every 24-year old is willing to spend his/her own money to fund their own campaign. Unlike my opponents, I have not received a single donation from anybody. I am spending my hard-earned money so I could make Lansing a better place for all of us and the next generation to come."

At-large, elected citywide

Top four candidates will advance to general election.

Yanice Jackson-Long

  • Total money raised: $8,056
  • Largest donation: $500 from Greg Eaton, listed as a Lansing-based political consultant

“I was just grateful that I was able to work with the community," Jackson-Long said.  “I’m excited — I'm glad that we were able to raise that amount. I’ll make sure that we use it responsibly."

Yanice Jackson-Long is running for an at-large seat on Lansing City Council.

Carol Wood

  • Total money raised: $7,200 this election cycle plus $142 from previous campaign
  • Largest donation: $5,000 from Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 333

Wood has served 19 years on Lansing City Council and is the body's 2019 president. She works as the executive director of RSVP, an organization that serves senior citizens.

Julee Rodocker

  • Total money raised: $5,493 this election cycle plus $123 from previous campaign
  • Largest donation: $2,500 from Price Dobernik of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 333

Rodocker is an electric material buyer for Consumers Energy. She  also serves on Lansing's Board of Police Commissioners.

Patricia Spitzley

  • Total money raised: $2,500 this election cycle plus $250 from previous campaign
  • Largest donations: $1,000 from Jeffrey Sargent, a Lansing attorney, and $1,000 from Michael Doherty, listed as a Lansing business owner.  Doherty has conditional approval from the Lansing City Clerk’s office to operate medical marijuana grow and processing facilities in the city. Doherty also has applications pending for city licenses to open medical marijuana dispensaries.

"I have not done large fundraising so far this election," said Spitzley, an incumbent. "I've mostly been focused on continuing to get my message out."

Spitzley is an attorney who works as a deputy redevelopment manager for RACER Trust, an organization created to clean up former General Motors properties.

Dan Ross (write-in)

  • Total money raised: $1,594
  • Largest donation: $387 from Dan Ross (self)

Ross improperly listed one $85 donation only as "random contribution" in his pre-election reports. He is required to list the name and address of the person who donated that money. The write-in candidate could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Terry Eagle

Eagle is retired. He received a waiver that allowed him to skip filing a pre-election campaign finance report, with the expectation he would raise less than $1,000 in donations of money or goods and services.

Election news:

We ran background checks on Lansing City Council candidates. Here's what we found.

Your guide to the Aug. 6 special election in Meridian Township

Contact Sarah Lehr at (517) 377-1056 or slehr@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahGLehr. 

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