A very lopsided mayoral race

I'm back from vacation! I hope you didn't miss me too dearly, dear reader.

Money isn't everything in politics, but it's certainly important. So Monday, when every City Council candidate was required to report how much they'd raised and spent in the first six months of the year, was a big day in city politics.

For some of these candidates, notably the mayor, this is the first campaign finance report they've filed this cycle. Some others started raising money last year. Below I will list the amount they've raised in the most recent report as well as the total they've raised this cycle.

My big takeaway is that these figures reflect the continued decline of the slow-growth neighborhood movement. There does not appear to be much of a backlash to HOME or other land use reforms. The few who are running on anti-reform platforms aren't gaining much traction.

There are always Cinderella stories, but generally speaking, a Council candidate should be on track to raise close to $100k by November if they want a decent chance. A mayoral candidate should be on track for at least $500k.

I'm just going to round to the closest $1,000, btw.

Watson waaaay ahead

There were plenty of surprises, but one thing was entirely predictable: Kirk Watson has a gigantic cash lead over his three opponents. The renowned fundraiser raised $711k –– and he didn't even bother fundraising last year. He only spent $166k, leaving him with $513k on hand for the final four months of the general election campaign.