Mayor Coleman leads money race 5 to 1
Tuesday,  July 31, 2007 4:34 PM
By Robert Vitale
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Mayor Michael B. Coleman raised nearly $500,000 in the first half of this year for his fall re-election campaign, more than five times as much as his Republican challenger.

According to campaign-finance reports filed today at the Franklin County Board of Elections, Coleman collected $498,311 from donors between January and June.

William M. Todd collected $90,450.

Todd’s biggest individual contributor was David L. Brennan, president of Akron-based White Hat Management, a for-profit operator of charter schools in Ohio and six other states.

Todd has made mayoral control of Columbus Public Schools a major part of his campaign platform, including city-controlled charter schools.

Brennan donated $20,000 to Todd’s campaign. The Franklin County Republican Party gave him $35,000.

Coleman’s biggest individual contributor was Edgar W. “Bill” Ingram III, chairman and president of the White Castle hamburger chain. He gave the Democrat’s campaign $10,000.

Coleman also collected $10,000 from Grange Mutual Casualty Co., and JPMorgan Chase.

Columbus City Council candidates also filed campaign finance reports today.

The biggest surprise: Republican Heidi Samuel out-raised Democratic incumbent Priscilla Tyson by almost $5,000.

Tyson, appointed to the council in January to replace Democrat Mary Jo Hudson, raised $13,345 since taking office.  Samuel raised $18,130.

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