News

Thousands of Campaign Dollars Leave Gray and New Gloucester for National Races
By Elizabeth Prata

Gray and New Gloucester share many things. They share a common geographical border, they share a common school district and they share a rural heritage common in Maine. Both communities also like to make political contributions as the 2004 campaign season indicates.

Thousands of dollars in private donations have left Gray and New Gloucester for this year's presidential campaign and a website allows you to track who is giving and to whom. The website is called "Fundrace 2004" and can be
found at www.fundrace.org. Those searching through the "Neighbor Search" can easily see who has been giving, how much and to whom. Another website, opensecrets.org, tracks those who have given in the past three election cycles.

Both websites gain their information through the Federal Election Commission reports that can be found at fec.gov. Campaigns, political action committees and political organizations are required to file a list of donors with the government quarterly. These documents become part of the public record.

Dr. Howard Dean (D-VT) ran a campaign that attracted a great deal of attention across the country. The only New Gloucester donor to any campaign so far this season gave $500 to Dr. Dean. This gift came from graduate student Christopher Rheault of Cobbs Ridge Road. Last year, Rheault sent Congressman Tom Allen $500 towards his reelection efforts.
In 2002 race, New Gloucester citizens had donated $6,700 -nearly doubling the amount raised and spent during the previous campaign cycle. The big giver in New Gloucester is attorney John Larouche of Larouche and Dyer. Attorney Larouche gave fellow barrister Tom Allen $1,000 in 2000 and again in 2002.

His gift, however, was dwarfed by several gifts from Gray. Ray Bedard of North Raymond Road sent $2000 to help reelect President George W. Bush. One year ago, Theodore Sperdakos sent $250 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Some other donors of note on the list include those who serve or who have run for City Council. In 2002, David Knudsen sent the Maine GOP $285 and Cliff Foster gave $500 in 1999 to the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Gail and Michael Liberty of Gray have also given some pretty significant gifts. During the 2000 presidential race, Michael sent long-shot Bill Bradley a check for $1,000 and Gail sent Al Gore $1,000.

Gray residents have sent in nearly $1,500 this cycle. In 2002, $8,500 was raised for national political purposes from Gray while just over $7,000 was raised in the 2000 cycle.