LAWRENCE: Candidates’ reports list funding, spending in campaign

The outcome of the Township Council election is certain — the two Democratic Party incumbents were re-elected and the Republican Party challengers lost.

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
   The outcome of the Township Council election is certain — the two Democratic Party incumbents were re-elected and the Republican Party challengers lost.
   What is not known is exactly how much money the Republicans raised and spent to come within a handful of votes of winning the Nov. 5 contest.
   Republican Party candidates Max Ramos and Glenn Collins, who lost the election by 34 and 73 votes, respectively, were not required to fill out a detailed report listing the amount and source of campaign contributions and how the money was spent on their election campaign.
   That’s because they spent less than the threshold amount that triggers a detailed report to be filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. In their sworn statements to the commission, Mr. Ramos and Mr. Collins certified that the Ramos and Collins for Council Committee spent less than $8,500 on the campaign.
   Mr. Ramos and Mr. Collins also set up individual candidate committees — Ramos for Council and Collins for Council. Mr. Ramos certified that his candidate committee spent less than $4,500 on his campaign, and Mr. Collins certified that his candidate committee spent less than $4,500 on his campaign.
   ELEC rules require candidates to report the amount and source of all contributions that exceed $300 — either individually or in the aggregate. For example, a candidate may receive a campaign contribution of $130 from a donor and a subsequent contribution of $180 from that same donor. The total exceeds $300, and must be reported.
   As required by ELEC, the Ramos and Collins for Council candidates committee reported receiving $1,500 in campaign contributions from the Lawrence Township Republican Club; $1,000 in campaign contributions from Victor M. Ramos of North Haledon; $359 from Lawrence resident Martin J. Jennings Jr.; and $500 from Tricor Inc. of Robbinsville.
   The Ramos for Council Candidate Committee reported receiving $1,000 from the Mercer County Republican Committee.
   The Collins for Council Candidate Committee reported receiving $1,300 from the Ramos and Collins for Council candidate committee.
   But Township Council incumbents Jim Kownacki and Stephen Brame, who ran on the Democratic Party ticket, were required to fill out a detailed report with ELEC. They spent $20,048.35.
   The Kownacki-Brame Election Fund received $23,056.63 in campaign contributions, according to the 20-day post-election report filed with ELEC. Of that amount, $6,000 was money transferred from a prior campaign.
   Also, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 269, Ironworkers Local 68, and Insulators and Allied Workers each contributed $500. A contribution of $8,200 came from the New Jersey State Laborers Political Action Committee, and $1,500 from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9. Construction and General Laborers Local 172 gave $1,000.
   On the expense side, the Democrats spent $6,977.29 on advertising, and $5,567.45 on get-out-the-vote efforts. The campaign also spent $4,841.11 on postage and $2,472.90 on campaign literature. Lawn signs cost $1,346.55.