Mayor Holds Big Fundraising Lead Over Challenger

Published Oct. 18

Mayor Ben Blake holds a sizable fundraising lead over his Republican challenger Peter Spalthoff with less than three weeks before the municipal election on Nov. 5.

While both campaigns reported spending about $15,000 on election-related expenses, October filings show Blake with about $30,000 left in the bank and Spalthoff with only about $6,500 leftover.

According to the Oct. 10 filings, Blake’s campaign had raised a total of about $45,000, while his opponent’s contributions to date totaled only about $21,500.

Where it comes from

During third-quarter fundraising, 18 donors gave $1,000 each to Blake’s campaign for re-election. One-third of those contributors were attorneys, including two from the Milford firm Berchem, Moses & Devlin.

During about the same time period, Spalthoff’s campaign received only one contribution of $1,000, which came from John Grillo of Grillo Services, a Milford landscaping company.

No single contribution to either campaign topped $1,000.

Where it goes – Blake campaign

The Blake campaign’s top expenditure between July 1 and Sept. 30 was a $4,450 check to Bridge Communications, a direct mail firm whose website touts an “incumbent protection program.”

According to the October filing, the incumbent’s campaign also spent $1,200 for “missed you and thank you cards,” $975 for a billboard sign and $5,100 for lawn signs.

Democratic Town Committee Chairman Richard Smith told Milford Patch in early October that the Blake campaign was taking a “conservative” approach when it came to campaign signage. At the time, he had estimated that about 350 signs had been distributed, which was 400 fewer than the amount Spalthoff gave for his camp.

“We understand the public becomes exasperated by these signs,” Smith had said. “We’re not cluttering the city; we’ve been much more deliberate.”

Where it goes – Spalthoff campaign

The Spalthoff campaign’s top expenditure in the third-quarter was a $3,050 check for lawn signs, which is not surprising after the retired mortgage broker told Patch in early October (for the same article mentioned above): “Signs to me always have depth; it gets your name out there and shows support.”

The Republican’s campaign also apportioned $2,250 for two billboards and $1,500 for the work of a graphic artist.