Lovely Rakes in Nearly Double Cash of Opponents Going Into Primary

She didn’t have the largest war chest coming into the race, but Salem City Council President Joan Lovely does now, after amassing nearly double her opponents’ campaign donations as she seeks the Senate seat for the 2nd Essex District.

According to pre-primary campaign finance reports filed yesterday with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, Lovely has brought in $82,708 since Jan. 1, although $26,313 of that amount was a loan she made to her campaign on Feb. 15.

By far, most of the individual donations to Lovely’s campaign came from Salem residents and business owners. Of a few hundred contributors, only about 50 were from Peabody, Beverly, Danvers or Topsfield in total.

Among Lovely’s financial supporters are Salem state Rep. John Keenan, Chief Paul Tucker, former chief Robert St. Pierre, Salem city councilors Paul Prevey, Kevin Carr, Robert McCarthy, Todd Siegel and Joseph O'Keefe, Salem School Committee member Deborah Amaral, former mayors Neil Harrington and Anthony Salvo, former city councilor Steven Pinto, Salem Finance Director Richard Viscay, a number of area attorneys, real estate agents, local business owners, Governor’s Council candidate Donald Bumiller and North Shore Elder Services Executive Director Paul Lanzikos.

Lovely spent $72,988, leaving her with $11,666, as of Aug. 29. The majority of her expenses were split between printing, office supplies and postage ($27,144) and campaign consultants ($14,808 to Newgrange Consulting Group of Boston and $6,700 to Corbett & Lalli in Watertown).

The rest of the money went to pay campaign staffers, partially repay her personal loan to the campaign and cover things such as building rent, campaign software, advertising and even a few donations to local businesses or organizations. There was also a $100 contribution to the committee to re-elect Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt, although Bettencourt himself has not publicly endorsed any of the candidates nor has he donated money to their campaigns.

The next largest pile of donations belongs to former Peabody state Rep. John Slattery with $38,115. He did not make any loans to his campaign and most of his supporters, expectedly, come from Peabody. A number of them are also from Boston and another 20 or so are from Salem, Beverly, Danvers and Topsfield.

Among his contributors are former Salem Mayor Stan Usovicz, Peabody city councilor David Gravel, Peabody state Rep. Joyce Spiliotis, a number of local attorneys, Peabody city employees, some local business owners and area employee unions as well as ones from Boston and at the state level.

Slattery spent $40,301, leaving his campaign with $12,332 – he started out Jan. 1 with a balance of $14,517.

Slattery spent $17,013 on campaign literature, postage, signs, invitations, etc, $12,500 on survey research with Mercury Point Research in Cambridge, and the remaining $10,000 or so on fundraising, hall rentals, advertising, some liability repayments and a few donations, including a $100 contribution to Bettencourt’s re-election committee as well.

Governor’s Councilor Mary-Ellen Manning of Peabody brought in $31,158, although she too loaned money to her campaign – a series of small payments totaling $8,982 – and spent $28,298 leading up to the primary.

Manning spent $15,131 on printing, postage, signs, etc, $4,839 on surveys and voter database and the rest on rent, food for fundraisers, hall rentals and other campaign materials.

Her contributors hail mainly from Peabody – more individuals from the Tanner City than on Slattery’s list, actually – and much of the rest between Salem, Beverly and Danvers and others across the state. Her sister Peabody city councilor Anne Manning-Martin is on the list, Peabody Light Commissioner Tom D’Amato, Salem city councilor Paul Prevey, a number of local attorneys and Peabody city employees, some local business owners and Governor’s Council candidates Donald Bumiller and Eileen Duff.

And lastly, a shoestring budget doesn’t begin to describe Salem resident Edward Carroll’s campaign finances – the retired deputy sheriff took in exactly $0 and spent $0, although he did make an in-kind contribution of $32 to his campaign to buy some paper and materials for flyers at Staples.

The state primary is Sept. 6.