Holden challengers strapped

• By SCOTT DYER
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Oct 3, 2008 - Page: 1B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Strapped for contributions, Mayor Kip Holden’s three opponents are relying mostly on signs and forums to woo voters for the Saturday’s primary.

Meanwhile, Holden has hit the airwaves in recent days with a series of slick television commercials funded by his six-figure campaign war chest.

The latest campaign finance reports show that Holden had a total of $351,511 in campaign funds as of Sept. 14, while his opponents — former School Board member Ron Johnson, former state Legislative Auditor Dan Kyle and Metro Councilman Wayne Carter — had a combined total of $14,410.

Free forums like the one sponsored Thursday night by the Working Interfaith Network at the New Gideon Baptist Church have provided a pulpit for Holden’s opponents to get their message out to voters.

“It’s not about the candidates’ money or what we do with it. It’s about your money and what we do with it,” Republican Dan Kyle told the crowd about 100 Thursday night.

The only other mayoral candidate attending the forum was Johnson, a Democrat who asked the crowd to compare where they are today with where they were four years ago when Holden took office.

“Has your life been made any better? Are your communities safer? Can you get from your home to work in less time or more time?” Johnson asked.

Neither Holden, a Democrat, nor Carter, a Republican, attended Thursday’s forum.

In his latest campaign finance report, Carter reports raising no funds during the reporting period, and made no expenditures.

Carter poured nearly $1 million of his own money in his failed bid for agricultural commissioner last fall, but hasn’t put any of his own money into his mayoral campaign this year, according to his campaign finance reports. Carter had a total of $3,000 in his campaign war chest as of Sept. 14.

Kyle reported receiving two contributions totaling $2,000 between Aug. 28 and Sept. 14. Kyle’s report shows that he repaid himself $1,083 for a loan to his campaign, and spent $1,174 on other expenses, including mileage for two workers to put out signs.

Kyle had a total of $6,621 in funds on hand at the close of the reporting period.

Johnson’s report reflects a single contribution for $600, and $1,131 in expenditures. Johnson had $4,789 in campaign funds as of Sept. 14.