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Marshall County Board of Supervisors campaign spending report

Editor’s note: This is one of three reports on expenditures made by local candidates running for county or state office based on information from the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. The figures below are expenditures the campaigns have made since June 6, the day after this year’s primary election.

There are four candidates vying for two seats in this year’s Marshall County Board of Supervisors race. They include incumbent Republicans Bill Patten and Dave Thompson and Democratic challengers Sue Blaisdell and Thomas Thurston. The two candidates with the most votes will win the seats this week.

Republicans

Bill Patten

Total expenditures since primary election: $50

How they spent: All of the money Patten’s campaign has spent so far has been on campaign signs.

Dave Thompson

Total expenditures since primary election: $0

How they spent: N/A

Democrats

Sue Blaisdell

Total expenditures since primary election: $36.30

How they spent:

· ActBlue refund: The Blaisdell campaign spent $25 on a “Refund of test donation on ActBlue” which was sent to the address of District 71 Democratic incumbent state House Minority Leader Rep. Mark Smith of Marshalltown, according to expenditure records. ActBlue is an online service meant to help Democratic candidates raise money. The Blaisdell campaign also paid a 60-cent use fee to ActBlue for the test donation.

· Bank charges: $10.70

Thomas Thurston

Total expenditures since primary election: $3,988.62

How they spent:

· Campaign supplies (signs, cards, mailing supplies): $2,359.93

· Advertising: $1,311.57

· Other: $300 to the Iowa Democratic Party for Voter Activation Network access; $17.12 at Dollar Tree in Marshalltown for party supplies, including balloons.

Analysis

By far the most spending in the 2018 Marshall County supervisor race has been from the campaign of political newcomer Thomas Thurston, a Marshalltown businessowner. About two-thirds of his campaign’s spending as of the Oct. 19 report has been on campaign supplies like yard signs, door-knocking cards, mailer postcards, stamps and fundraiser invites. Thurston has also invested in advertising on local radio airwaves.

Blaisdell, Patten and Thompson all have experience running for this office in previous elections and their campaigns spent little, if any, funds on campaign supplies. Thompson, a local businessowner, has held a supervisor spot since 2010 and Patten, a farmer, since 2014. Blaisdell, who lives in Marshalltown, has not won a seat but ran for supervisor in 2014. Her campaign did not have reports on-file for the July 19 reporting period.

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