Fenty's $3 Million Tops City's Costliest Mayoral Primary

In the District's most expensive mayoral primary, Democratic nominee Adrian M. Fenty raised an unprecedented $3 million, nearly $350,000 more than his closest opponent, D.C. Council Chairman Linda W. Cropp.

Fenty, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council, won the Democratic primary with 60,732 votes, or about 57 percent. He raised $400,000 the week before the Sept. 12 primary through Oct. 10, according to the city's Office of Campaign Finance. During the final days of the campaign, Fenty spent $801,791, much of it on television advertising.

As he heads toward the Nov. 7 general election, Fenty still has $460,426 in his campaign to spend against Republican David W. Kranich, who has not filed this month's report, and Statehood Green candidate Chris Otten, who raised $1,675 and has $1,582 remaining.

In the Democratic race, Cropp, who has been in public service for 26 years, raised $2.7 million. Much of Cropp's money since she announced more than a year ago came from the District's business community, which strongly endorsed her candidacy. Her campaign spent heavily on television advertising, depicting Fenty as an irresponsible lawyer.

A month before the election, Cropp sent out a four-page brochure that attacked Fenty for casting the sole vote against the city's emergency crime bill in July. Cropp received 32,897 votes, or 31 percent, of the 109,781 votes cast in the primary.

The other major candidates in the mayoral race, retired Verizon president Marie C. Johns, council member Vincent B. Orange Sr. (D-Ward 5) and lobbyist Michael A. Brown each raised far less than $1 million.

Johns raised $657,000, including $36,167 from mid-August when polls numbers showed that her campaign was still in single digits. A political novice, she got 8,501 votes, edging out Orange, a two-term incumbent, who got 3,075.

Orange, who returned Tuesday from South Africa on a economic development and cultural exchange mission with Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D), asked for an extension to last week's filing deadline.

The report Orange submitted days before the September primary showed that his campaign had $539,703, including $67,000 of his own money. He aired television advertisements during the Redskins' Monday night football game in an effort to draw attention to his campaign when polls were showing he had only about 4 percent support.

Brown raised $310,330, including a $90,000 personal loan to keep his campaign afloat. His debts total $8,548. Brown, who dropped out of the campaign less than a week before the primary and publicly endorsed Cropp, still got 650 votes.

Brown said that he would have liked to have raised more but that it was too much of a challenge in a race where the top two candidates were incumbents. He said it was "absolutely" worth the money to participate in the campaign and get his message out.

"You just take the hit," Brown said. "I have no regrets."

Unlike Orange and Brown, who have outstanding personal loans, other candidates have money leftover. Cropp has $24,000 and $12,780 in debts. Johns, who did not list any debts, has $21,000 left. She has a personal loan of $30,000. Any leftover contributions can be donated to a political party committee or a nonprofit organization after debts are paid, according to campaign finance official. Personal loans are not considered debts and do not have to be repaid.

The mayoral campaign was not the only one that was expensive. The chairman's race between council members Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) and Vincent C. Gray (D-Ward 7) topped $1 million. Gray, who has been on the council less than two years, raised $647,000. He defeated Patterson, a three-term incumbent from the city's most affluent ward, who raised $353,654. Gray received 58,345 votes and Patterson 43,646. Neither candidate reported debts or personal loans.

In the at-large council race, incumbent Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) raised half as much money as his opponent, K Street lawyer A. Scott Bolden. Mendelson raised $234,680 and has debts of more than $91,500. Bolden reported contributions of $470,440, including a $57,800 personal loan. His debts total $55,249.