DEL MAR –
Del Mar City Council candidate Laura DeMarco spent nearly twice as much as incumbents Crystal Crawford and Jerry Finnell combined in the November election, only to come in third in a four-way race that returned Crawford and Finnell to office.
In fact, DeMarco's expenses amounted to about half of every dollar spent during the campaign, campaign finance disclosure documents filed last week show. The deadline for filing the forms, which cover campaign finances through the end of December, was Jan. 31.
The disclosure shows Finnell spent $14,371 and came in first with 1,201 votes, or 33 percent of the total cast.
Crawford came in second with 1,159 votes or nearly 32 percent of the total, spending $14,686.
The DeMarco campaign spent $27,953 and secured 1,013 votes or nearly 28 percent of the total.
Fourth-place candidate, Michael Winn had not filed his disclosure statement as of yesterday, said deputy city clerk Connie Smith. An earlier filing covering expenditures through Sept. 30 listed $593 in campaign assets, including $100 each from five supporters.
Winn secured 261 votes, about 7 percent of the total cast.
In addition to spending more than the other candidates, DeMarco also used more of her own funds, lending her campaign $22,126, the forms show. The remainder came from 34 supporters, including $100 each from Del Mar City Councilman (now Mayor) Carl Hilliard and his wife, and from county Supervisor Pam Slater-Price.
The Crawford campaign received no loans and contributions of up to $100, the allowable limit, came from 133 individuals, her forms show.
Finnell, who has been sidelined since early this year by cancer treatment, also reported no loans, and individual contributions of up to $100 from 105 supporters. Finnell expects to resume his council duties no later than March, he said yesterday.
James Steinberg: (619) 542-4569; jim.steinberg@uniontrib.com
