Candidates spent $55K
Published 1:05 am Thursday, June 7, 2018
The three candidates for sheriff in Covington County reported spending almost $55,000 through last week, and the race isn’t over yet.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Alabama Secretary of State’s office show that incumbent Sheriff Dennis Meeks, who led the polling in Tuesday’s primary election, spent $17,948 on this year’s campaign. The majority of his expenses, $8,667, was spent on yard signs.
Challenger Blake Turman, who’ll face Meeks in a runoff in July, has spent $20,096. And Nickey Carnley, who forced the runoff by receiving 20 percent of the votes cast, has spent $16,402.
Turman’s expenses included advertising and transportation. Turman spent $8,157 on yard signs. Carnley’s expenses were all for advertising.
The totals include the $1,200 each of the three paid the Covington County Republican Party in qualifying fees.
The campaigns were mostly funded by contributions.
The Meeks campaign reported campaign contributions totaling $18,050.
Contributors included Dawn Davis, $500; Andalusia Ford, $500; Gitty UP & GO, $500; Walden Farms $500; Ward Farms, $500; Summer Reaves, $300; Toka Jackson, $300; Levis Rushton of Montgomery, $1,100; George Momenpour, $500; Randy Rushton, $1,000; Waller and Associates of Mobile, $1,000; Keith Lewis, Dozier, $1,000; Frank Hare, $200; June Douglas, $100; Seth Hammett, $500; Horace Horn of Greenville, $500;
LBB, LCC, $1,000; Gary Smith, $500; Filtration MFG, $500; Palmer and Sons Collision Center, $1,000; Alabama Road Contracting Services, $250; CHDP, $300; Soles Management Group, $5,000; and JH Tillman, $500.
The Turman campaign reported beginning funds of $6,000, which were not itemized. The campaign reported contributions totaling $14,415.
Contributions included $4,000 from the candidate, and $4,000 from a fundraiser. Individual contributors included Gary D. Turman, $100; Shannon Bryants Body Shop, $1,400; Covington Properties, $495; Donnie Johnson, $500; Covington Heavy Duty, $400; Normand McAllister, Daphne, $500; A.G. Palmore, $250; Don Bullard, $500;
Deborah T. Cole $200; Larry Harrison, $200; Tybe Farms, $200; Ryan Palmer, $700; Cara Ray, $200; and Paul Wiggins, $500.
Carnley contributed or loaned his campaign $12,884, and received $742 in in-kind contributions. He received contributions totaling $4,150 from H.D. Edgar Trucking, $1,000; Tom Wismer, $100; Donna Day, Baker, FL, $300; Deb Morris, $300;
Don Harrell, $1,150; Kelley Carnley, $200; Jimmy Fowler, $100; and
Lloyd J. Mattair Jr., Pensacola, $1,000.
Meeks’ expenditures were up this year from his 2015 campaign, when he spent $15,972 in a race against Chris Byrd.