Elyria mayoral, Municipal Clerk of Courts races detailed in campaign finance reports

Spending in the Elyria mayoral race, with four candidates, was nearly $53,000 between the three candidates who filed campaign finance reports with the Lorain County Board of Elections as of Oct. 26. Democrat Kevin Brubaker out-spent his former boss, incumbent Mayor Frank Whitfield, an independent, and Republican challenger Alice Gobeille. Bill Grace, an independent candidate and former mayor of Elyria, did not file a campaign finance report by the pre-general election deadline on Oct. 26, according to the Lorain County Board of Elections.Board of Elections Director Paul Adams said a candidate only has to file a report if they raised or spent $1,000 by Oct. 18. Adams said the board won't know if Grace would have been required to file a pre-general election report until the post-general election reports are due by Dec. 15. The information was gleaned from publicly available campaign finance reports obtained by the Chronicle-Telegram from the board of elections. Kevin Brubaker According to its report, the Brubaker for Mayor campaign had $21,865 on hand and received $13,550 in contributions for a total of $35,415. Of that, $29,563 was spent, leaving him with $5,852. Brubaker is a former Elyria safety service director and city councilman, and the current public works director in Avon Lake. Businessman Dan Reaser, who once sued the city over the development of the Reaser Pointe Crossing connector road on the city's east side, gave $5,400 in in-kind contributions for "fundraiser event expenses" to the Brubaker campaign on Sept. 7, according to campaign finance reports. Other major donors to Brubaker's campaign included: $1,000: Emilio S. Fabrizi Sr., of Fabrizi Trucking & Paving in Valley City; Peter Falbo of Lorain; Kris Koepp of Lorain; $500: Construction and General Laborers Local 758 of Amherst; the law firm of Roetzel & Andress, which has performed legal work for the city of Elyria; Monica Mackin of Elyria. $250: Friends of Tom Orlando campaign $200: Friends of Greg Zilka campaign; Friends of (Lori) Kokoski campaign; attorney Dan Gibbons; Daniel Gross of Lorain; (Mary) Siwierka for City Council campaign; former Elyria law director Scott Serazin; Elyria City Councilman Phil Tollett, D-At large; $100 or less: Jean Yousefi, Elyria's human resources director; Elyria City Council Clerk Mike Lotko; and the Committee to Elect Martin Heberling III (all $100). Frank Whitfield An independent first elected in 2019, Whitfield brought $8,873 forward from his last report. His Citizens to Elect Frank Whitfield campaign raised $23,041, spent $17,496, and had $14,418 left over as of Oct. 26. Donors included: $1,000: business owner Deena Williams of D's Sweets, Lorain; Robert Douglas of Avon; $700: Delores Baker of Lorain; $500: Charter Communications Ohio Political Action Committee; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC Voluntary Fund; attorney Susan Anderson of the law firm Roetzel & Andress, a Cleveland firm that has done legal work for the city of Elyria; attorney Farah Emeka, assistant law director/chief prosecutor, city of Oberlin; Robert Campana of Lorain; property owner, developer and manager Neil Weinberger, president, JND Properties LLC, Cleveland; John Beckett of Elyria; Charles Corn of Columbus; Angelo Corna of Lakewood; Dennis Fox of Irvine, California; Janet Wang of Irvine, California; Corey Williams of Canton, Michigan; $350: Dr. Chantal Dalencour, a pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist with University Hospitals; Jerica Washington, JW Tax & Consulting Services, Kerstetter Way, Elyria; $300: Fred Trimble of Elyria; $250: Brown Robinson Funeral Home, Lorain; Janet Fiskio of Oberlin; Christopher Nance, vice president at the Greater Cleveland Partnership; Vassie Scott, Big Papi LLC, Lorain; Judy Glenn of Avon; Danielle Gloster of West Friendship, Maryland; $235 or less: Multiple other donors. Alice Gobeille Gobeille raised a much more modest amount than her fellow candidates. Her campaign brought forward $601, received contributions totaling $3,899 plus $1,691 in "other income," spent $5,761 and had $430 on hand as of Oct. 26. Donors to Gobeille were: $2,500: Jeff Baxter, chairman of the Elyria Area Republican Party and Republican candidate for Elyria's 4th Ward council seat against incumbent Democrat Kenny Oswald on Nov. 7. $500: Rita Denomme, Gobeille's mother. $300: the Elyria Area Republican Party Central Committee; $100: David Freeman of Elyria; $50 or less: Jack Baird, former Elyria city councilman and Republican member of the Lorain County Board of Elections ($50); Pamm Malcomb of Elyria ($38). Also in Elyria, incumbent Clerk of Courts Eric Rothgery, Democrat, is facing off against Republican challenger Greg Fanning, a relatively new face in Elyria. Rothgery drastically outraised his opponent with individual donors, raising a total of $24,591 in contributions to Fanning's $17,280, the majority of which came in the form of a personal loan of $10,000 Fanning made to his own campaign. Fanning came into the election with $271.88, bringing in $6,759 in contributions and $10,249 in other income. He has spent $12,370 so far on his campaign and had $4,910 on hand as of Oct. 26. Donors to Fanning were: $10,000: Gregory Fanning, a personal loan. $2,000: Michael Fanning, Gregory Fanning's father, in two separate payments. $1,000 (later refunded): From Planned Giving Solutions, a company owned by Fanning's mother. Fanning said the donation was a mistake so it was refunded. $250: Robert Meeker of North Ridgeville, Edward Krecic of North Ridgeville. $200: Latta for Congress, the campaign of Rep. Bob Latta. $104.10: Honey Howard, Republican candidate for Elyria law director. Many other contributors gave $100 or less to Fanning's campaign. Rothgery brought forward just $56.79 but has raised $24,535, largely from two particular fundraising events. He has spent $17,208 and has $7,383 on hand. Donors to Rothgery were: $2,000: Voluntary contributions from current employees in the Clerk of Courts office. $1,500: Robert Pustay of Elyria. $1,000: Carson Chlepciak of Huron, Pileski for Elyria City Auditor campaign. $500: Families for Lundy campaign. $400: Brubaker for Mayor campaign, Friends of Amanda campaign. $200: Marsha Pavlenda of Elyria, Siwierka for Elyria City Council campaign, Rebecca Stewart of Sheffield Village, Wellington financial adviser Michael Sunderman, Mary Syrowki of Elyria, Elyria Fire Fighters, Elyria City Councilman Phillip Tollett, Richard Flowers of Elyria, Smith for Judge campaign, Daniel Hopkins of Avon. Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com. Contact Owen MacMillan at (440) 329-7123 or omacmillan@chroniclet.com.