Campaign finance approach and disclosure
I’ve made campaigning harder on myself. I’ve limited donations to my campaign to $20/person. I’m only accepting donations from people who live locally and I’m disclosing my donor list before election day. I’ll keep updating this list as more donations come in.
An affordable way to contribute
Many people are struggling with affordability. $20 makes it affordable to contribute to a campaign. $20 makes all donors equal.
2021 Campaign Disclosure Statements (scroll to the bottom of the page)
You can see from the 2021 mayoral disclosures how much money is raised even in our small city. Mayor Clark raised $15,000 from 58 donors. Mayor Clugston raised $20,000 from 19 donors.
We should be thankful people care enough to donate. But not many people have thousands of dollars to donate to a campaign, myself included. This can make it feel like politics is only for heavy hitters and not for most of us.
Money is a necessity for campaigns, but can also distort things. Money shouldn’t feel like an arms race that you need to keep up.
Around the horseshoe
Of course I want to win, but I also think about what comes after election day. I self funded my first council campaign because I worried about how donors would affect my ability to impartially cast votes. $20 is enough to help, but not so much for me to feel indebted.
Our campaign approach
I could have raised more money and spent more money, but we've been intentional with our approach. We've depended on volunteers lending their time, expertise, and energy. Creativity and community support can make money go further.
Nearly 40 people have delivered almost 9,000 pamphlets (and counting) to homes throughout the city.
7,000 different people have visited my website and read 14,000 pages over the past three months.
I've put lawn signs on people's lawns and minimized signs in public. I only have six large signs around town, focused on quality over quantity and ensuring I can maintain what I have. A principle I would follow in the role of mayor.
Current expenses: ~$5,500 (10,000 pamphlets, 150 lawn signs, 15 big signs, car wrap, wood and screws, wrap up get together. Expenses as of Oct. 17.)
Count the people, not the money
We’re looking for 275 people to donate $20 each to cover campaign costs. So far 125 people have donated money to my campaign. I’ve turned down lots of money. It’s harder, but I think it’s worth doing it this way.
I’m up for the challenge.
Here’s how you can help:
E-transfer $20 to medhatkris@gmail.com or forward this to your friends!
Some donors of $20/each have requested to stay anonymous. I’d prefer to share everyone’s name, but I’m willing to be accommodating. Only donations over $50 require to be disclosed with names and addresses by March 1, 2026.
