Politics & Government
How Much Does It Cost To Run For Salem City Council?
Ward 6 Councilor Megan Riccardi raised more than any other candidate who submitted year-end finance reports, but most of it went to lawyers.
SALEM, MA — Megan Riccardi raised more than any other candidate that submitted year-end campaign finance reports filed to the Salem City Clerk. But most of the money she raised was spent on legal fees to defend her one-vote victory over Jerry Ryan in last year's Ward 6 City Council race, according to year-end campaign finance reports filed with the Salem City Clerk.
George McCabe, who lost in his run for a year-end election report, appears to be the candidate that spent the most on trying to get elected in the Nov. 5 election. McCabe has not submitted the year-end campaign finance report that was due Jan. 20. But in a pre-election reported filed Oct. 19, he had raised $8,331.11, far outpacing other candidates.
Riccardi raised a total of $12,365.88 last year and spent $6,378.72 between Oct. 19 and Dec. 31. Riccardi's report included $10,000 in legal fees she incurred during the recount and lawsuit that followed the election as Ryan challenged the results. Ryan, meanwhile, raised $3,763 and spent $2,360.81. Ryan's campaign report did not include legal fees.
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Much of the $10,050.78 Riccardi raised between Oct. 19 and Dec. 31 came after the Nov. 5 election, when she asked supporters for contributions to help pay for the cost of the recount and the subsequent lawsuit.
The following charts break down the total amount raised by each candidate in each city council race and the school committee race, the amount spent between October 19 and Dec. 31, and the amount the candidate had on hand at the end of the year.
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Candidates marked with N/A had not submitted year-end campaign finance reports as of Wednesday. Winners of each race are printed in bold type, while candidates for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*).
City Council, At-Large
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Jeff Cohen | $1,425.53 | $73.38 | $1,352.15 |
| Domingo J. Dominguez * | $654.83 | $600 | $54.83 |
| Ty Hapworth | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| George McCabe | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Alice Merkl | $1,440.15 | $1,435.39 | $4.56 |
| Elaine Milo * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Conrad J. Prosniewski | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Arthur Sargent * | $5,252.58 | $4,884.61 | $367.97 |
City Council, Ward 1
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Robert McCarthy * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| James Willis | $138.04 | $137.62 | $0.42 |
City Council, Ward 2
One seat up for re-election. Stacia Kraft ran a write-in campaign for the Ward 2 city council seat.
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Christine W. Madore * | $1,796.63 | $253.21 | $1,543.42 |
City Council, Ward 3
One seat up for re-election.
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Robert Camire | $440.00 | $771.00 | -$331.00 |
| Patti Morsillo | $945.91 | $491.53 | $454.38 |
City Council, Ward 4
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Michael Cusick | $141.16 | $0.99 | $140.17 |
| Timothy Flynn * | $206.72 | $0 | $206.72 |
City Council, Ward 5
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Josh Turiel * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
City Council, Ward 6
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Megan Riccardi | $12,365.88 | $6,378.72 | $5,987.16 |
| Jerry Ryan | $3,753.67 | $2,360.81 | $1,3982.86 |
City Council, Ward 7
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Stephen G. Dibble * | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Andrew Varela | $1,919.67 | $1,713.24 | $206.43 |
School Committee
Three seats up for re-election.
| Candidate | Amount Raised | Amount Spent | Year-End Balance |
| Jennifer Brown | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Beth Anne Cornell | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Jim Fleming * | $2,472.18 | $2,390.00 | $82.18 |
| Donna Fritz | $100.31 | $422.76 | -$322.45 |
| Mary Manning * | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Kristin Pangallo | $1,093.84 | $981.24 | $112.60 |
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