Hyggen topped all candidates in 2021 campaign fundraising

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on April 21, 2022.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

How much did candidates running for municipal office and school boards raise and spend during their most recent election campaigns?
That information is now available on the City of Lethbridge website where full disclosure can be found of funds raised by candidates last October for mayor, council and school board positions. The information also shows where they spent their campaign contributions.
Under Alberta regulations, disclosure must include names of people who donated $50.01 cent and more to a candidate’s campaign and the amount they contributed.
Under amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act made in 2020, individual donors can now contribute a maximum of $5,000 per candidate, up from $4,000.
Candidates can now contribute as much as $10,000 of their own money, an increase from $4,000 under previous rules.
Mayor Blaine Hyggen, who beat runner-up Bridget Mearns by 508 votes in October, led all candidates locally with $119,832.95 in total funds raised during his campaign. Of that money, there was zero surplus after all expenses were paid. Hyggen contributed $5,462.35 of his own money to his successful first campaign for mayor.
Hyggen had 16 donors who each contributed the maximum of $5,000 to his bid for election.
Runner-up Mearns raised a total of $46,420 and had a surplus of $397.37. She spent $5,000 of her own money on her campaign and had two donors contributing $5,000 each.
Third place finisher Stephen Mogdan raised $19,122.81 and had one donor of $5,000. Mogdan invested $1,109.84 of his own money into his campaign.
Unsuccessful candidate Jennifer Prosser, who was endorsed by NDP MLA for Lethbridge West Shannon Phillips, topped all candidates for council with $18,753.55 raised. She contributed $4,322.55 to her own campaign.
Of successful council candidates, former mayor Rajko Dodic who topped voting for council with 12,079, raised $10,200 with one donor contributing $5,000.
Jenn Schmidt-Rempel, in her first bid for a council seat, raised $11,725.60. She contributed $2,225.60 of her own money to her campaign.
Veteran councillor Ryan Parker raised $8,946.87, contributing just $71.87 himself.
First-time councillor John Middleton-Hope raised $8,646.60 and contributed $2,346.60 himself. Nick Paladino, also a first-time winner, funded his entire campaign of $3,733.97 out of his own pocket.
Jeff Carlson raised $2,007.53 and contributed $782.53 himself.
Belinda Crowson raised $1,750 of which $1,000 was her own money. Mark Campbell spent $500 of his own money on his successful re-election bid.
Of other unsuccessful council candidates, Suketu Shah raised $11,000 and contributed the maximum of $10,000 to his own campaign.
Ryan Wolfe raised $9,967.53, contributing $3,117.53 himself.
Rufa Doria raised $8,481.93, spending $5,795.22 of their own money in their election bid.

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