by Staff
Money, money, money . . . it may be the root of all evil, but it’s also the root of all political campaigns.
The money list provides loot to the candidates but it also provides something to the public: the names of people backing candidates.
And, some back every candidate.
The latest donations to mayoral candidates show that turf has been staked out, at least to some degree. Mike Weinstein has big contractors, Ginger Soud has developers and Alberta Hipps has the medical community. The fourth announced candidate, John Peyton, doesn’t have to turn in a report until April and his list is expected to show many of the City’s old family names.
And, giving may be limited to $500, but that rule allows some wiggle room.
On Weinstein’s list, the loose partnership between two of the area’s biggest construction-related companies, W.W. Gay Mechanical and Miller Electric, paid off with $500 checks for at least 10 Gay-owned companies and at least four Miller executives plus the company account.
Dog racing interests also contributed to Weinstein: there are $500 donations from Howard Korman, who runs the local dog tracks, and his wife, plus $500 from each local track.
Soud’s support comes from many of the top builders — she’s a real estate agent — and includes Howard White, the immediate past president of the builders association; Charlene Perez Ferren, president of the real estate association, and most principals in the Nocatee development.
Hipps is way behind in money on the early reports but it’s obvious she has support from a powerful group: doctors.
Hipps, a former vice president at St. Vincent’s Medical Center, has reeled in checks from many of her past associates. She also has donations from companies and families with ties to St. Vincent’s, including First Guaranty Bank, Lanahan Lumber and the Haynes, Peters and Bond insurance group.
Politics brings strange bedfellows and some want to make sure they’re in bed with everyone. A good example: former mayoral candidate John Lewis, who either has given to all three either personally or through his Gateway Mall.
In the first reports, Weinstein had contributions of $146,030, Soud had $102,128 and Hipps had $24,702.
Some donors, as reported on the most recent campaign reports filed with the Division of Elections:
Mike Weinstein
W.W. Gay and his companies
Miller Electric and its executives
Local dog tracks
Berkman Plaza executives
Mr. and Mrs. Carter Bryan
Wesjax development
Bob Mathews Construction
David Marco
Pam Paul, mayoral aide
Tom Petway and his companies
Lewis Siplin and his companies
Peter Rummell, St. Joe
Wayne Weaver and other Jaguar executives
LandMar Group and executives
Ed Austin, former mayor
Ginger Soud
DDI (Winn-Dixie, developers of Nocatee)
Chris Verlander, Associated Industries of Florida
Howard White, North Florida Builders
William Watson, Watson Realty
Jack Diamond, architect
The Skinner family, developers
George Hodges, developer
Centex Homes
SEDA Construction
Queen’s Harbour
Mortgage brokers Brad King and Wyndham Manning
Denise Wallace, vice president of Stokes & Co.
Builders Association lobbyist Daniel Davis
Hawley Smith, developer
Commercial realtors president Hobart Joost
Gerald Dake, developer
Cathy Whatley, president elect of the National
Association of Realtors
Alberta Hipps
Stellar Group, builders/developers
Dr. Richard Nauman
Dr. Angel de la Torre
Dr. Charles Haddad
Dr. Kevin Wolfe
Dr. David Pirrung
Dr. Mitchell Rothstein
Laine Silverfield, Dreams Come True
Champion Brands
Pat Williams
Hank Haynes, insurance
Dr. Yank Coble, president of the American Medical Association
Lanahan Lumber
First Guaranty Bank