Cavaco Tops Campaign Spending

Francis Cavaco  leads all candidates in campaign spending as of Sunday. The incumbent selectman told Seekonk Patch he has spent $2,469 of his own money and collected nothing from others because he does not believe in taking campaign donations. The spending includes $500 for a newspaper ad, $560 for cards, $409 for signs and $1,000 for marketing.

Cavaco missed the Sunday deadline to submit his financial report, so it was not available at the town clerk's office when Patch reviewed all reports early Tuesday afternoon. Cavaco told Patch later in the day he had just submitted the report and disclosed his financial information to this website over the phone.

Of Cavaco's two challengers, former Selectman Mike Brady  has collected and spent the most money. He has received $1,625, including $880 from a fundraiser at which people paid $20 per ticket and $725 from various donors giving $50 to $200 each. Brady has spent $1,402. This includes reimbursements to Selectman Dave Parker ($387) and former Selectman Bill Rice ($427), who fronted money for the purchase of signs and postcards, as well as $530 to the Seekonk post office for stamps and $57 on miscellaneous items.

Challenger Paul Buckley  has raised $1,125, including six donations from people paying $100 each and $525 from various donors who paid less than $50. Only those who give more than $50 must reveal their names. Buckley's named donors are School Committee member Brian Freitas, Webster Larkin Sr., Bob Blanchard, Robert Fuller, Kris Mineau and Susan Mullen. Buckley also has $227 remaining from his unsuccessful selectmen campaign in the fall.

Buckley has spent $430, including $230 for a newspaper ad and $143 for cards.

The top spender in the school committee campaign is 2012 Seekonk High School  graduate Evan Berwick, who has used $1,055 of his own money to buy cards, signs and an ad in the Seekonk High Drama Club's play program. Berwick missed the deadline to submit his report and disclosed his information to Patch in an email.

Also missing the deadline were Bill Woods, Shane Halajko and Bob Richardson. Woods told Patch through email he spent $277 of his own money on signs and handouts. Halajko wrote in an email that he has neither raised nor spent any money. Richardson did not respond to an email about his financial information.

Among those school committee candidates who submitted reports on time, Kyle Rose wrote he spent $167 of his own money and Don Kinniburgh and Jeffrey Starr Mararian have raised and spent nothing.