Vernon mayor Victor Cumming’s successful bid to retain the mayor’s seat in the 2022 municipal election came on the back of more than $15,000 in campaign spending.
Elections BC released expenditures in the election on Thursday. Cumming topped the candidate spending list in Vernon with $15,529 in expenditures. The campaign contributions he received totalled $13,150.
Cumming earned 4,346 votes in the election, equal to spending $3.57 per vote he received.
Brian Guy, who won a council seat in the election, made a $1,000 contribution to Cumming’s mayoral campaign. Guy spent $9,245 on his own campaign.
The next highest spender was Jenelle Brewer, who spent $11,094 in an unsuccessful bid for a council seat. Brewer received $0 in contributions.
Next on the list came Teresa Durning, who shelled out $10,962 and received $8,525. The expenditures paid off as she was elected to council.
Former councillor Scott Anderson made a run for the mayor’s seat, spending $9,394 in his campaign before losing to Cumming.
Dawn Tucker was unsuccessful in her bid for a council seat, but spent $8,146 on her campaign. She received $6,163 in contributions.
Ross Hawse spent $4,907 in his bid for a council seat, which was unsuccessful. He received the exact same total in campaign contributions.
Incumbent councillor Kari Gares spent $4,701 in her successful re-election campaign and received about the same sum in campaign donations.
Coun. Akbal Mund, Ed Stranks, Patrick Vance and Andy Wylie all spent $0 on their campaigns.
Mayoral candidate Erik Olesen did not file his disclosure statements by the deadline, and as a result his campaign spending is not available.
All told, the mayoral and councillor candidates spent a total of $79,991.
READ MORE: Those who spent, won in Penticton’s 2022 election
READ MORE: Victor victorious in Vernon: official election results