Cash flows to council races: Peacock and Burgess lead fundraising in campaign that has attracted donors who may need council votes.

Charlotte City Council incumbents Edwin Peacock and Susan Burgess have raised the most money in the race for four at-large seats, including thousands of dollars from people that have business before the city.

Peacock, a Republican, has raised the most, with $61,509, and had $44,444 left to spend as of Oct. 19. Burgess, a Democrat, has raised $59,330 and had $32,370 in the bank.

Democrats David Howard and Patrick Cannon, and Republican Tariq Scott Bokhari also have had success, with each having collected more than $35,000. The other major candidates in the race -- Democrat Darrin Rankin, Republicans Matthew Ridenhour and Jaye Rao are under $20,000.

Hudson News, part of a firm that manages retail stores at airports, helped raise $1,100 for Burgess in October, according to her report filed Monday. Aviation director Jerry Orr said he expects Hudson to bid later this year on a Charlotte/Douglas International Airport retail contract.

Much of the funds were raised by Hudson senior vice president Bobby Watson, of Chevy Chase, Md., who said he contacted friends throughout the country to write checks for Burgess. He said he knows her through Hudson's partnership with the National League of Cities, of which Burgess is a member.

He said he doesn't know if his firm will bid on the Charlotte/Douglas retail contract.

Burgess said Watson is a longtime friend, and that she isn't swayed by campaign contributors.

Burgess, Peacock and other candidates said they receive contributions because they are willing to meet with people or businesses that need help with city issues. But they aren't influenced by campaign contributions, they said.

Burgess and Peacock have received thousands of dollars from developers.

But Burgess pointed out that she doesn't receive money from industry groups such as the Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition, REBIC, in part because she supports ordinances they oppose, such as urban street guidelines, which developers have said makes building homes more expensive.

She also noted she was endorsed by the Sierra Club.

"The industry groups are interested in broader issues, and those are things that I have differed with them on," Burgess said. "I am independent."

Burgess, who has strong ties to the national Democratic Party, also received money from groups such as the United Auto Workers political action committee, which gave $1,000.

Charlotte attorney John Carmichael, who represents clients in city zoning cases, donated $500 to Burgess and $250 to Peacock.

Carmichael is currently representing developers in a pending rezoning case involving Selwyn Avenue. The Myers Park Homeowners Association wants to limit densities along Selwyn to ensure that residential condo towers aren't built too high -- a zoning change that Carmichael is fighting.

Alvin Levine and Daniel Levine of the Levine Properties each contributed $1,000 to Peacock and Burgess. Levine Properties is partnering with the city to build a park, office space, retail and apartments in First Ward.

Developer Peter Pappas, who is teaming with the city to build a mixed-use development at the Scaleybark light-rail stop, contributed $500 to Peacock. Council members earlier this year voted to give Pappas an extension on starting construction on the project, due to the recession. He also gave $250 to Burgess.

REBIC and the NC Realtors Association political action committee gave Peacock's campaign $1,500 and $1,000.

REBIC has opposed the police department's proposal to make all landlords register with the city.

Peacock recently voted in committee in favor of an ordinance that would only require landlords of the most crime-ridden properties to register.

"I would have agreed with REBIC regardless whether they supported me on that," Peacock said.

Peacock said he isn't influenced by his donors. Like Burgess, he noted that he also was endorsed by the Sierra Club.

"They realize I'm balanced," Peacock said. "I'm looking at both sides of an issue."

The candidates also receive thousands of dollars in donations from friends and co-workers who don't have business before the city.

A Public Policy Polling poll released this week showed Burgess and Peacock have a strong chance at reelection. When asked who was their first choice, 32 percent of voters said Burgess. Peacock and former council member Patrick Cannon were the first choice of 17 percent of voters. Republican Tariq Scott Bokhari was the first choice of 13 percent of voters.

Real estate connections

Howard had raised the third-largest amount of campaign money -- $41,305 -- much of it from developers.

Howard, a member of the Mecklenburg Planning Commission and an executive with the Housing Partnership, which builds affordable housing, received $2,250 from five executives with Crosland Properties.

Howard said he was able to tap developers, in part, because of his connections at the partnership. He said he won't be beholden to the building industry.

"That came up at an east-side forum," Howard said. "It just means I'm a fair guy. I also got the Sierra Club's endorsement."

Despite his fundraising success, Howard is struggling to distinguish himself from the crowded field. The PPP poll found he was the first choice of 2 percent of voters.

Bokhari finished third in the September Republican primary. But he has distanced himself financially from fellow Republican at-large candidates Rao and Ridenhour. Bokhari has raised $37,603, though that includes a nearly $8,000 loan to himself.

Bokhari, a Wells Fargo executive, has received few donations from individual developers, though he has gotten $1,500 from REBIC, $1,000 from the N.C. Home Builders Association PAC and $1,000 from the N.C. Realtors PAC.

"Here is what I told each one of them," Bokhari said. "I will work hard for you, and I will always have an open ear. But if you are expecting something, then I'm not your guy. Don't give me your money."

Cannon, a former council member who finished first in the Democratic primary, has raised $35,497.

The Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County donated $1,500, the NC Realtors PAC gave $1,000 and the REBIC PAC gave $1,000 -- $500 for the primary and $500 for the general election.

Cannon couldn't be reached for comment Thursday.

Out-of-town gifts

Rankin, who owns his insurance agency, finished fourth in the primary. He has raised $18,694, including a $3,500 loan to himself.

The Democratic Women of Mecklenburg gave him $1,500 and the Bank of America PAC, of Wilmington, Del., gave $500. State Sen. Malcolm Graham, a Democrat, donated $200.

Rao, a small business owner, has raised $14,619.

Eleven of Rao's 26 donors this reporting period are from either Cary or Durham, and are members of the Triangle's Indian-American community.

She also received $500 from the N.C. Realtors PAC.

Republican Charlotte City Council member Warren Cooksey donated $193.

Ridenhour, a Tea Party organizer, finished a strong second in the Republican primary. He used his Tea Party contacts to build an effective grass roots organization, and his two tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine also appealed to voters.

Ridenhour has raised $13,639 -- including a $1,329 loan to himself.

His donations have come almost exclusively from individuals, including $500 from N.C. Rep. Ruth Samuelson, a Republican.

Libertarian candidate C. Travis Wheat hasn't filed a campaign finance report since July, according to the Mecklenburg Board of Elections. Candidates with under $3,000 don't have to file.