It’s easy to know when autumn begins, even in Florida — the scent of pumpkin-spice is in the air and campaign signs spring from the ground like daisies.
In Bradenton Beach, there are only two candidates vying for voters’ attention this election season: incumbent Mayor John Chappie and challenger David Galuszka.
If elected, Chappie would serve his third and final two-year term as mayor in this round in accordance with city-set term limits.
He also served as mayor 2001-07, when term limits prevented another run in 2007.
Galuszka, a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, doesn’t want to wait a year for Chappie to term out of office and has qualified for the ballot.
As of a Sept. 10 filing deadline with the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections office, Chappie leads the race for campaign money with $2,050.
Galuszka is behind in dollars with $1,395 in contributions, but overall, has nearly 75% more contributors.
A look at the reports show Chappie has more high-dollar contributors.
Along with Chappie’s four contributors and Galuszka’s 19, each candidate has pumped money to his own campaign.
When the one-week candidate qualifying period concluded Aug. 27, campaign finance filings were required bi-weekly. As of Oct. 1, they will be required weekly, SOE chief deputy Sharon Stief told The Islander Sept. 24.
Candidates have 90 days after the election to close out their campaign accounts and use remaining funds to pay invoices or distribute to charities, Stief said.
Voting officially began Sept. 24 with mail-in ballots sent to applicants. The deadline to vote by mail is 10 days before the Nov. 2 election, according to the SOE website, votemanatee.gov.
Mail-in ballots can be requested online at votemanatee.com or by calling the SOE at 941-741-3823.
A look at the BB mayoral race finances …
John Chappie
Contributions: $2,050
- $1,000 from D. Joseph Chappie Jr.
- $700 from himself
- $250 from Steven M. Bark
- $100 from Sandra Haas-Martens
In-kind: $300
- $300 from himself in the form of campaign materials.
Expenditures: $649.50
- $10 to Regions Bank for campaign checks
- $96 for election assessment fee.
- $543.50 to Alliance Print Service for mailer and mailing
David Galuszka
Contributions: $1,395
- $250 from James Stufflebeam
- $100 from multiple donors, including Jeffrey Geddes, Ronald McAuley, Ellen Wayne, Debra Atanian, Marlene Galuszka, Kathleen Martin, Nancy House and Lawrence House
- $50 from several people, including Kathy I. Marconi, Ellen Denise Wayne, David Brown and Kiersten Galuszka
- $25 from the following: Michael Ramsey, Michael Logghe and Donna Kata.
- $40 from Carol DeJans
- $20 from Cat Pershina
- $10 from himself.
In-kind: $0
Expenditures: $813.37
- $25.20 to Stripe for payment processing fee
- $63 to Campaign Partners for campaign website
- $714.22 to Island Mail and Print for political signs
- $10.95 to Stripe for online contribution fees.