Election primer

How much money it takes to seriously run for Dallas City Council

What will $100,000 buy these days?

You could drive a Tesla and never have to stop for gas again.

You could buy a cozy 995-square-foot home on Losa Drive in Casa Linda, not have a mortgage payment and have a little left over to build a cool backyard deck.

You could join 50 of your other wealthy friends on a private aircraft for an Abercrombie & Kent-sponsored three-week trip around the world.

Or you could run for Dallas City Council.

No, money is not the sole determining factor in a candidate’s success. But it seems to be the price tag for executing a successful run for an open seat in East Dallas, Lake Highlands or North Oak Cliff. (It’s a little less expensive in other areas, such as South Dallas.)

First, the facts from the public filings. Candidates file financial reports 30 days before the election, eight days before the election, eight days before any run-off and semi-annually until the next election cycle, and then it starts all over again.

Because Sheffie Kadane in District 9 ran as an unopposed incumbent in the last election, it’s more instructive to look at the filings for District 14 Councilman Philip Kingston and District 1 Councilman Scott Griggs, who both won contested races in 2013.

Kingston, running in a district that stretches from the M Streets through Uptown to Oak Lawn, received 34 percent of the vote and then defeated Bobby Abtahi in the June run-off. The cumulative totals for the three reports Kingston filed show that he raised $94,551.

Griggs, running in the relatively compact yet diverse North Oak Cliff, won outright with a 61 percent majority against one opponent. His two reports show a cumulative total of $77,782 plus a loan from Griggs to his campaign of $28,000, for total political capital of $105,782.

It’s less in South Dallas and more in

North Dallas, mostly driven by how many people vote.

Where does the money go? Brian Mayes, founder of Mayes Media Group, says the average age of the voter in a municipal election is 60 years old.

“They generally aren’t on social media and don’t respond to something cute on Instagram,” Mayes says. “Council campaign budgets are primarily spent for printing, mailing and signs, all needing lots of visual appeal.”

It’s work to raise $100,000 in campaign capital. Contributions are limited to $1,000 for individual contributions and $2,500 for political action committees. The general election and any run-off are considered two separate elections. Corporate contributions are prohibited.

“More than money,” says Mari Woodlief, President and CEO of Allyn Media, “is a candidate’s want-to. Although the ability to raise campaign cash is a direct reflection of a candidate’s viability, a small campaign budget can be supplemented by the sweat equity of walking the blocks day after day, night after night.”

“Who wants it the most?” Woodlief asks. —Sam Gillespie

Watch Us Grill The Candidates

This game-changing city council election has three men vying for Lake Highlands’ District 10 seat. But how would they actually govern? In a series of quick-hit videos, we’ve cornered the candidates with questions that go beneath the surface. We test their knowledge of the neighborhood, gain insight into their personalities, and find out just what kind of leaders they are

DON’T MISS AN EPISODE

Don’t miss an episode. Click on “2015 Election” at the top of lakehighlands.advocatemag.com to see the videos along with our full coverage ahead of the May 9 election — and stay tuned for a possible run-off.