In the race for Coral Gables mayor, Commissioner Jeannett Slesnick is outraising her sole declared oppponent, 
former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli, almost two to one.
According to the latest campaign finance reports filed last week, Slesnick raised $45,350 in January, compared to $24,800 raised by Valdes-Fauli. She also raised $9,950 in December, while the former mayor raised $2,345.
The gap is much bigger, though, because Slesnick has loaned herself $100,000 to Valdes-Fauli’s $10K, giving her a total that is three times as big at $156,300.
Each of them has spent about the same amount, however, leaving Slesnick with a much bigger kitty eight weeks before the election.
Slesnick’s biggest expense is $13,490 in consulting for a phone bank and data to a Missouri company called TJP Strategies. She also paid $6,000 for printed campaign materials, $5,550 on yard signs, bumper stickers, ads and mailers and $900 on postage.
Ladra looked but couldn’t find any expenses listed for the slickly produced video ad that was aired during Channel 10s This Week in South Florida last weekend. Sure, the media buy will be reported in February and I guess production will be, too. There’s even a version in Spanish narrated by her daughter in law, Cecilia Slesnick. That has to have cost a pretty penny,
Read related story: Coral Gables mayoral race — Slesnick vs. Valdes-Fauli, Vol. II
Valdes-Fauli has spent roughly half of his $45,145 total with the biggest item being bumper stickers at $6,300. He spent nearly as much on kick-off expenses (catering was $4,926 and parking was $1,000), $3,800 on postage, $1,256 on door hangers and $1,630 on a video we haven’t seen.
His expenses and contributions also include $4,000 donated and then returned to Mansfield USA, a property development company in Coconut Grove. It was likely returned because it was over the $1,000 limit and was really meant for a political action committee or, worse, 501c4 organization with less public scrutiny (we’re looking for it).
So, really, Valdes-Fauli only raised $20,800 in January. Slesnick outraised him more than 2 to 1.
Jeannett Slesnick winning Gables mayoral money race added by Ladra on
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