New campaign finance reports, filed after the town’s June election, reveal more about how much candidates raised and spent.
Two candidates reported accepting support from the state and/or town Republican parties.
School Committee candidate Emily DeJoy received $800 in in-kind donations from the Massachusetts and Marblehead Republican committees. Board of Health candidate Kim Crowley reported a $300 donation from the town GOP committee.
School Committee contest
Newcomers Kate Schmeckpeper (with 4,800 votes) and Henry Gwaza (4,332) handily won the two School Committee seats. Campaign finance reports show Schmeckpeper raised $4,717.16 in donations and spent $5,655.38. Gwazda raised $2,055 and spent $3,361.70.
Emily DeJoy, who came in third with 1,586 votes, collected no cash donations and spent $2,219.99. The $800 in in-kind donations from the GOP was used for text messages and emails.
Incumbents Sarah Fox (649) and Alison Taylor (789) did not submit the mandated post-election finance reports, according to the Town Clerk’s Office. According to their pre-election filings, Fox spent $396.76 of her own money. Incumbent Alison Taylor reported spending no money.
Board of Health
In the Board of Health race, winning candidate Dr. Amanda Ritvo raised $1,395.72 in cash donations and spent $2,548.44 of her own money. She received in-kind donations of campaign T-shirts and an ad.
Kim Crowley spent $1,873.07 of her own money, in addition to the $330 from the Marblehead GOP.
Select Board
Jim Zisson, who won the lone Select Board seat with 66.9% of the vote, reported $1,516.81 in personal spending and no outside fundraising.
Opponent Yael Magen, who had initially reported raising $2,000 and spending $1,516.81 of her own money, amended her filing to show she raised just $466 in donations and personally spent $2,156.59.
In total, spending in the Select Board race rose slightly to $3,673.40, narrowly surpassing the town clerk race to become the second-most expensive contest of the cycle.
Incumbent Town Clerk Robin Michaud won re-election with 3,361 votes, defeating challengers Terri Tauro (1,966) and Melissa Flanagan (848). Michaud spent just $53.27 of her own money and accepted no donations.
Tauro reported raising $3,642.01 in donations, spending $3,576.77 on campaign literature and lawn signs, and loaning her campaign $617.01. She also received $700 in in-kind contributions.
Flanagan, who had not filed campaign finance data before the election, has now disclosed raising $175 in donations and loaning her campaign $1,300 for sign purchases.
Planning Board incumbent Edward Nilsson defeated J. Timothy Swigor 3,345 to 2,440, retaining his seat with 57.8% of the vote. Nilsson reported spending $552.50 out of pocket and raised no money. Swigor reported that he neither raised nor spent any campaign funds.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
