Some Newport council candidates got more bang for their buck
Candidates running for a seat on the Newport Beach City Council this election season spent heavily to win favor with voters, but higher expenditures did not necessarily guarantee a win.
Five candidates, as well as the political action committees that supported them, spent five figures on their quests for public office. Two reached a six-figure mark. One candidate spent a few thousand.
But what did that money actually equate to per vote cast?
The amount spent per vote ranges from the price of a meal to less than one would spend on a pack of gum at a convenience store.
Former Planning Commissioner Fred Ameri, who unsuccessfully sought the District 7 seat representing Newport Coast and Newport Ridge, spent the most of the eight hopefuls, shelling out $152,923 of mostly his own money. He received 5,988 votes, or 23% — the fewest in the race for a council seat this year, according to Thursday morning’s returns from the Orange County registrar’s office.
Consequently, Ameri spent $25.53 for each vote, the equivalent of a typical lunch entrée at an upscale Fashion Island restaurant.
Ameri said that he doesn’t regret spending his own money. He said race played more of a factor than funds.
“I cannot beat the racist system and the bigotry that exists in our city, our state and in our country,” he said. “I’m proud of having spent the most money. Being the most qualified candidate of all eight and getting the lowest number of votes, it hurts, but I take pride in that because it awakened me to the fact that the city wanted an American name to be elected.”
Phil Greer, an attorney who also sought the District 7 seat, and the Line in the Sand PAC that supported him spent $51,401 on his campaign, which equated to $7.37 for each of the 6,973 votes he received, according to Thursday’s unofficial registrar results.
District 7’s winning candidate, city Finance Commitee member Will O’Neill, and the PACS that supported him spent $7.55 per vote.
Expenditures for his campaign, including PAC money, totaled $98,902.
Law student Shelley Henderson, who ran for the District 2 seat against Harbor Commission Brad Avery, garnered 10,566 votes. She spent $2,680 on her campaign, translating to roughly 25 cents per vote.
Avery, who snagged the seat representing Newport Heights and Newport Crest, and the PACS that aided him spent $75,390. Based on the number of votes he received, Avery and his supporters spent $5.07 per person who cast their ballot in his favor.
Businessman Lee Lowrey and his supportive PACS in the race for District 5 spent the most per vote in the race, but ultimately, he did not win the seat.
Lowrey’s campaign spent $101,945 in the election, which translates to $11.85 per vote, or about the cost of a glass of wine at a restaurant.
Jeff Herdman, a retired educator, and the Line in the Sand PAC spent the second-highest amount, $75,566. Herdman, whose campaign spending translates to $7.97 per vote, defeated Lowrey by about 900 votes, according to Thursday’s registrar results.
Activist and businessman Mike Glenn, who finished last in the race for the District 5 seat, spent $3.22 per ballot cast in his favor, according to the most updated campaign filings.
Glenn said money and votes, to an extent, go hand in hand. However, other factors sometimes weigh heavily on voters as they cast their ballot, he added.
“It people aren’t voting on ballot designation alone, it’s about hitting the bricks, knocking on doors, and you can’t do that without money to have a flier in hand,” Glenn said. “If I had raised more and was able to spend more, I think I would have gotten more votes.”
Twitter: @HannahFryTCN
