Campaign finances disclosed
Larry D. Williams, a Republican seeking the at-large nomination for Prince William County supervisor on Tuesday, has contributed $5,000 to the campaign of Democratic Sheriff E. Lee Stoffregen.
Incumbent Supervisors’ Chairman Sean T. Connaughton, who Williams wants to unseat in the primary, and Stoffregen have been involved in a two-year struggle over funding of the sheriff’s department.
Manassas resident Williams at his May 1 announcement said he would sign a pledge to support Republicans. This was 10 days after his Capitol City Adjustment Inc., a vehicle repossession business, made the latest $1,000 donation to Stoffregen. Williams is president of the company.
The donations to Stoffregen and all local candidates are in campaign reports filed this week. Same-party candidates face off in primaries Tuesday.
“Everybody knows he is pretty much a sheriff’s puppet,” said Connaughton’s campaign manager Kyle Robertson. “He has not developed a relationship with the Republican committee … not one Republican leader besides [party member Steve] Danziger has met the guy.”
Williams campaign manager Jerry Osgood said Republican sheriff candidate Glendell Hill’s push for less law enforcement more closely aligns him with Democrats.
“He’s the Republican candidate, but he’s not a Republican,” Osgood said.
Hill opposes having sheriff’s deputies conduct traffic patrol duties. This should fall under the duties of the county police department, he said. The expansion of power under Stoffregen has caused conflict, he says.
Robertson said Danziger sent Williams a pledge. Osgood says Williams never received it.
“Larry has said he will support Republican candidates,” Osgood said. “Does it mean he will go out and campaign for Glen Hill? Maybe not. Will he go out and campaign for Stoffregen? Absolutely not.”
Osgood praised Stoffregen as a “two-term public safety official who is doing a good job of protecting the community” and provides law enforcement at no additional cost to taxpayers.
Robertson said Osgood is out of touch with Republican voters and doesn’t know what Hill has been doing as the Republican nominee for sheriff.
In April and May, Connaughton raised $38,106 and spent $32,472. He has a total of $102,627 in his campaign fund.
In the same period, Williams loaned himself $3,000 and received $1,920 in contributions. On May 28, he had $1,029.
Democratic chairman candidate Rick Coplen, who will meet the winner of Tuesday’s primary in the November General Election, reported a $2,500 contribution from Stoffregen. He ended the period with $2,109 after spending $5,102.
Stoffregen raised $41,233 and spent $36,187. He has a total of $277,885.
Democratic sheriff candidate John Collier, a county police officer, spent $6,640 and raised $6,480. He held a fund-raising golf tournament at Virginia Oaks Country Club on May 19 that cost $2,460. He reported 62 unitemized donations under $100 totaling $4,730. He has $2,939 left in his campaign fund.
The winner of the Democratic Primary will face Republican Hill in November. He raised $1,750, including donations of $500 from Connaughton and $250 from Supervisor Maureen S. Caddigan, R-Dumfries. He spent $454 and finished with $1,795.
In the Coles supervisor race, Republican incumbent Mary K. Hill raised less than challenger Marty Nohe.
She reported raising $2,666 including a $1,000 in-kind contribution from Rep. Tom Davis, R-11th District. She reported $15,434 on hand. Nohe raised $2,949 in contributions, ending with $12,708 on hand.
In the four-man Republican Occoquan contest, Mike May spent nearly three times as much as his competitors combined.
He spent $27,866 and finished with $4,876. He reported a $15,000 donation from his former boss Rep. Tom Davis, R-11th District, as well as an in-kind contribution of a campaign manager worth $4,000 over the two months.
Corey Stewart spent $8,200 and finished with $3,690. Outgoing Supervisor Ruth T. Griggs, R-Occoquan, gave Stewart $1,028. He reported $12,500 in loans to himself.
Stephen Wassenberg spent $105 on printing. He raised $225 and finished with $2,607. He loaned himself $2,000.
Frank E. Bolton spent $1,979 and finished with $21. He loaned himself $2,000.
In the two-man Democratic Occoquan contest, former county party chair Keith Scarborough spent $4,471 and received $4,309, ending with $4,558. Donating to his campaign were state Sens. Toddy Puller and Dick Saslaw and Supervisor John D. Jenkins, D-Neabsco.
John Gray raised $1,025 and spent $2,549, ending with $3,731. Current party chair George Delimba has donated to Gray’s campaign.
In the Woodbridge Democratic contest, incumbent Hilda Barg raised $1,950, spent $6,599, and ended the period with $45,349. Challenger John Thompson raised $1,337 and spent $1,681, ending with $655.
The winner will face Democrat Ronald Robinson, who raised $1,046. He spent $95 and ended with $1,051.
In supervisor races that will not be decided until November:
— In the Dumfries race, Caddigan raised $350 and spent $2,493. Democrat Davon Gray raised $2,262 and spent $347, ending with $1,914. Stoffregen gave him $1,000.
— In the Gainesville race, independent incumbent Edgar S. Wilbourn raised $1,030 and spent $430, ending the period $59,991. Republican John Stirrup reported 65 cash contributions totaling $8,669. He spent $5,595 and ended with $8,543. Democrat Gary Friedman raised $4,875 and spent $1,820, ending with $7,594.
— In the Neabsco race, Jenkins raised $1,950 and spent $4,051. He ended with $17,548. Republican Scott Hirons raised $3,385 and spent $4,197, finishing with $3,822.
— In the Brentsville race, Republican Wally Covington raised $1,825 and spending $2,851. He has loaned himself $2,000 and ended with $1,702. Democrat Patricia Lightfoot reported loaning herself $1,500.