CAMPAIGN FINANCE: IF THE NUMBER OF CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS IS ANY INDICATION, CREIGHTON SWAMPS MEEKS IN TOMORROW'S FULL TERM STARK COMMISSIONER ELECTION

Yours truly has been going through pre-general election campaign finance reports to see what interesting tidbits of whom is contributing to him and the search has been successful.

In the Creighton versus Meeks (for the four year term being vacated by Todd Bosley), the reports find reveal a number of interesting facts.

First, Creighton out raised Meeks $56,257.00 to $13,140.00.  Moreover, in terms of contributions, Creighton outdid Meeks 924 (including "in-kind") to 35.  Now, mind you, the number of contributions does not equal number of contributors.  However, it is safe to say - even discounting the same person contributing multiple times - Creighton's actual contributor count is way up in the hundreds whereas Meeks is in double digits.

Second, of the contributions to Meeks, most of it came from organized labor.

So, one might say:  "he is a Democrat."  True.  But Meeks is not your normal "pound the flesh with the general public" type Democrat.  He is more of the Glenmoor set. 

Just ask Dan Scuiry, president of the AFL-CIO Hall of Fame what he thinks of Meeks and Meeks' close friend Stark County Democratic Party chairman Randy Gonzalez?

Meeks' ability to raise money for his campaign against Creighton has to be down right embarrassing for his having been Governor Strickland's region nine director at its Akron headquarters.  Remember, he was to be "the eyes and ears of the governor?"

Some are saying that Meeks has just flat given up on this race.  And it's understandable that he would.  For the numbers on campaign finance alone make it clear that Creighton is going to be the people's choice tomorrow by a rather large number.

It appears that Meeks' did beat Creighton in number of large contributions ($1,000 or more).  However, Creighton got the largest single contribution in getting $5,000.00 from "Women Votes," a Stark County Republican Party front group created by the organized Stark County Republican Party that only endorses and contributes to Republican candidates.  The Democrats have such and organization called the Coalition of Women Voters.

Overall, it appears that Creighton has much more grassroots support than Meeks which the SCPR believes will be amplified come tomorrow's election!