Commission candidates report funds

MANATEE — A political newcomer continued to hold the lead among county commission candidates in campaign contributions, even outpacing an incumbent by a more than 2-1 margin.

Reports from the Manatee County Supervisor of Elections Office show Robin DiSabatino, a candidate for the District 4 seat being vacated by Ron Getman, has raised $155,630 during the year since she declared her candidacy.

The candidate who collected the next highest amount of money in contributions was incumbent at-large Commissioner Carol Whitmore, with a total of $68,385.

DiSabatino has not only far surpassed her Republican primary opponents, Norm Luppino and Tim Norwood, in raising campaign funds, but even her campaign expenditures are more than double than what Luppino and Norwood have collected. Luppino collected $17,303 in contributions since he declared his candidacy last year and spent $8,937, while Norwood took in $4,500 and spent $1,767.

DiSabatino, a Realtor, has spent more than $62,500 on her campaign. According to the reports, DiSabatino has raised a large portion of her money from development and real estate businesses.

In just the last quarter, which ended July 17, she raised $6,635, of which at least $3,875 came from firms or individuals involved with the construction or real estate industries, including several from out-of-state firms.

DiSabatino said her campaign contributions over the past year have been broad based, but because she is a Realtor many of the people she knows in the business are contributing.

“But I’m an ethical and honest person,” she said Thursday, “and if I’m voted into office I will vote for the best interest of the people of the district and the county.

“Nothing will influence my vote.”

Luppino collected most of his campaign funds from individuals in $25, $50 and $100 increments this past quarter, except for a $500 contribution from Donald Christie, a Farmington Hills, Mich., computer programmer.

Luppino said Thursday that less than 2 percent of his contributions have come from the development community.

“My contributions are coming from neighborhood residents — people who believe in my abilities,” Luppino said. “In the last report, more contributions were from district residents than both my competitors combined. That’s very important to me.”

The majority of Norwood’s contributions this quarter were $25 and $50 donations from individuals, with one business contribution of $500 from Advanced Technologies World Health, a Sarasota medical supplies manufacturer.

Norwood was not available for comment.

The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Roger Galle in the Nov. 2 general election.

Galle has raised $3,205 since April 2009 when he opened his campaign account, including $1,150 in the last quarter. He has spent a total of $1,764.

In the District 2 race, incumbent Gwen Brown faces political newcomer Michael Gallen in the Democratic primary election, but because there is no qualified Republican or no-party candidate for the general election, all registered voters in the district north of the Manatee River can cast a ballot.

Brown raised $4,405 this reporting quarter, bringing her total to $56,226. She has spent a total of $18,432.

Gallen received $9,930 in contributions during the past quarter, more than half of the $16,537 he has raised since he declared his candidacy,

Whitmore, who will face Democratic candidate Sundae Lynn Knight in the general election, raised $26,285 this quarter compared to Knight’s $1,305.

Knight has raised a total of $2,481 since opening her campaign account in April 2009, while Whitmore has raised $68,385 since July 2009.

The candidate contribution and expense reports can be reviewed on the Supervisor of Elections website, www.votemanatee.com under the Candidate Information tab.