NASHVILLE, Tenn. — New disclosures reveal a clear front-runner when it comes to campaign cash.
The disclosures were due Jan. 31. They detail the amount of money raised and money spent by campaigns from July 2022 to January of this year.
Matt Wiltshire'sdisclosures show an early lead in fundraising. During the reporting period, Wiltshire's campaign reported a war chest of $1.08 million. Part of that haul does include a loan balance just shy of $350,000. Wiltshire is a former director of the Metropolitan Housing and Development Agency going back to Mayor Karl Dean's administration. This is his first campaign for public office in Nashville.
District 19 council member Freddie O'Connell's campaign reported a balanceof $262,956 for his campaign. The bulk of that was raised in this reporting period with $244,255 raised from July 2022 to January 2023.
Though current Nashville mayor John Cooper dropped out of the race this week, he continued to raise funds into the reporting period. While Mayor Cooper started the period with some cash on hand he only added $130,655 from July to January. The campaign experienced a significant burn rate, spending $166,607 during the same period. It is possible that Mayor Cooper wound down fundraising as he approached his decision not to run. When asked if these fundraising totals informed the Mayor's decision not to run, spokesperson T.J. Ducklo says no.
"Fundraising did not factor into Mayor Cooper's decision. As the Mayor said on Tuesday, he believes he has delivered on his commitments and is looking forward to life after politics," Ducklo said.
Councilwoman At-Large Sharon Hurt's campaign reported $5,200 in donations. Her campaign only spent $345 dollars leaving her $4,855 in cash on hand.
While campaign contributions can have a big impact on the outcome, Nashville has seen well-funded candidates fail to secure the office before. Mayor Cooper's decision not to run could bring more candidates to the race, increasing the likelihood that a run-off election will be held.
The deadline for candidates to file for the office is May 18.
