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Saxman largesse benefits Bell

Chris Graham

At first glance, Dickie Bell got his late-starting 20th District House campaign up and running pretty quickly. At second glance, State Del. Chris Saxman got it up and running for him.

Cash and in-kind contributions from the Saxman campaign to the Bell campaign accounted for more than 60 percent of Bell’s receipts in the July 1-Aug. 31 reporting period, according to an AFP analysis of financial data reported to the State Board of Elections.

The Saxman campaign made a $5,000 cash donation to Bell and a $9,000 in-kind contribution of polling data and other campaign information. Bell reported cash and in-kind contributions of $22,006 in the period.

Bell also reported spending $9,716 and had a cash balance of $12,290.

Democratic challenger Erik Curren raised $11,170 in July and August, listing 88 cash and in-kind donors, nearly three times the donors on Bell’s report.

Curren spent $8,231 in the period and had a cash balance of $3,537.

Year to date, Curren has raised $19,686 and spent $16,149.

Saxman, who dropped out of the race in July, reported contributions in the 2008-2009 campaign cycle of $120,472 and cash on hand as of Aug. 31 of $49,987.

 

– Story by Chris Graham

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].