Bonner Has More Cash, Though Primary Challenger Spending More Recently

According to state Board of Election filings, incumbent Councilwoman Jane Bonner – running in her third straight primary this fall — holds a sizable advantage in her campaign coffers about a month away from a primary race against her challenger, Brian Lenz.

Campaign finance reports show that 32 days away from the Sept. 10 race, Bonner, C-Rocky Point, had a balance of just under $10,100, and Lenz – a first-time candidate from Mt. Sinai who previously worked with the Town of Brookhaven – spent about $1,500.

The Aug. 8 reports were only necessary for candidates competing in a primary.

While Lenz has less to spend, reports show that he's been spending more as of late, however. Between July 15 – the date that the last reports were due – and Aug. 8, Lenz spent over $3,600 compared to Bonner's $1,300. Big costs include over $1,200 in lawn signs, over $1,000 for campaign mailers through Vistaprint and a $550 fundraiser at Benchwarmers in Mt. Sinai.

Nearly all of Bonner's cash spent in the most recent filing cycle, $1,200, came on campaign literature.

While Lenz has outspent Bonner over the past few weeks, the incumbent councilwoman put over $11,000 into this fall's race between January and July of this year, while Lenz spent about half of that: $5,300.

View campaign finance reports for Lens here, and Bonner here.