Finance reports reveal big spending

The committee to elect Alderman David Cignotti for mayor has been pumped full of cash. Cignotti is the only candidate in Wrightsville Beach who has reported spending of more than $3,000 on campaigning for office.
Actually, he is the only candidate among all the beach towns in New Hanover County to exceed the $3,000 threshold set by state law.
Basically, the threshold law stipulates that if any candidate wants to spend more than $3,000, they have to file a report with the New Hanover County Board of Elections and are subject to update that report periodically.
According to finance reports filed with the board of elections office on Oct. 26, the committee to elect David Cignotti has spent a total $4,908.66 for campaign-related expenditures.
During the first of two disclosure periods to date—from July 17 to Sept. 22—the committee doled out more than $3,308.
Expenditures during that period, according to finance reports, included $475.48 for 100 yard signs, $625 for 750 campaign Koozies, $89.95 for 100 bumper stickers, $69.81 for a banner sign, $395.62 for 36 T-shirts, $1,599 for 1600 mailers, and a small number of in-kind contributions and reimbursements.
During the second disclosure period, Sept. 23 to Oct. 19, Cignotti received 14 individual donations totaling $1,115, or roughly $40 a day, according to finance reports.
All those who donated $100 or more are residents in Wrightsville Beach, including Lois DeVries, the wife of alderman candidate Walter DeVries, who donated $100 to Cignotti’s committee, finance reports indicate.
At the close of the second filing period, reports indicated that Cignotti still had $2,232.54 cash on hand.
The fact that Cignotti has spent so much on his campaign will undoubtedly boost his numbers in the polls come Nov. 3. He’s strengthened his name recognition and clarified his position on a number of issues, but there are still disadvantages that will have to be overcome in the polling place.
His competition, incumbent Stephen Whalen, has the name recognition and is banking on the town’s successes of the past two years, typical of any incumbent candidate. He also appears to have toned down his infamous tangents, a quality that has unequivocally branded him with a bad reputation and possibly damaged his appeal to some voters.
Whalen said after he announced his reelection bid in July that he would likely exceed that $3,000 threshold, but to date, has yet to do so, despite sending out several mailers and planting numerous yard signs around town.
Some of Cignotti’s spending seemed strategic.
Koozies, for example, will likely appeal to the younger voters who seem to be a sturdy base of Cignotti support. Even though this block tends to vote in small numbers in off-year elections like this one, Cignotti’s ability to rally the youth may give him enough votes to inch ahead of his competition.
Small town elections like the one in Wrightsville Beach can often be decided by a single vote.
It will be exciting to see how the tide turns on Election Night.

—Brian Freskos