Quiz nights and raffles might not typically be associated with politics, but Heathcote Ward councillor Sara Templeton believes they are an effective way to connect with supporters and raise money.
Christchurch mayoral candidates are able to spend up to $70,000 in the three-month campaign period from July 11 until election day on October 11.
Mayor Phil Mauger would not answer questions about his campaign fundraising or spending, saying it was too early in the campaign and he is “focused on being mayor”.
Templeton’s first quiz night on December 1 had about 100 attendees and raised about $2000 from tickets and raffle entries, she said.
“My supporters generally tend to come from community spaces and people are very generously donating what they can afford, so the quiz nights are really good way of connecting with everyone and fundraising at the same time.”
She is having another quiz night tomorrow at the Richmond Club, starting at 7pm.
Templeton hopes to raise between $75,000 and $100,000 to “be competitive” with Mayor Phil Mauger’s campaign.
“It’s a lot of money and I’d love it to be less, but looking at previous campaigns, it’s clear that running a mayoral campaign is an expensive exercise,” she said.
Mauger received $147,000 in donations over $1500 for his mayoral bid in 2022, which was spent prior to the three-month campaign period and did not need to be declared as campaign expenses.
During the campaign period, Mauger spent $65,500 according to his campaign’s electoral returns. The source of this money is unknown as candidates are only required to declare donations more than $1500 and Mauger would not comment on his spending or donors.
Mauger’s largest donation by a wide margin was $30,000 from Bruce and Kaye Miles. Bruce is the founder and director of Miles Group, a car dealership company.
Other prominent donors included property developer Buzz March and car dealers Angus and Dougal Cockram who donated $5000 each.
Templeton said potentially having a larger proportion of campaign funding from small donors was not a disadvantage.
“It helps to build community and momentum around the campaign.”
So far, Templeton has received more than 100 individual donations in addition to the funds from the first quiz night.
Most donations have been under $100 and only one has exceeded the $1500 disclosure threshold.
Templeton declined to reveal her total funds raised to maintain a competitive advantage.
“I’m running a grassroots campaign, reflective of the community values which I hold and represent and I’ve had an amazing response from people so far,” she said.
Templeton is unsure what type of fundraising Mauger will do, but believes her approach reflects the community-focused themes of her campaign.
For his 2022 mayoral bid, Mauger’s campaign spent about $15,800 on public relations, personal assistance and digital services.
Online advertising cost Mauger’s campaign about $8400 while print advertising cost about $12,500.
About $6400 was spent on radio advertising with $10,800 spent on hoardings and other signage.
For Mauger, public relations consultant Erin Jamieson is returning as his campaign manager.
She is the co-owner of Convergence Communications and Marketing Ltd.
Templeton’s campaign manager is Rob Henderson, head of stakeholder engagement at PR agency Narrative Campaigns.
As mayor, Mauger makes $207,400 a year while Templeton’s council salary is $117,000.
Templeton said she has fronted about $5000 of her own money and will later contribute her tax return.
In his declaration of financial interests, Mauger listed himself as a director of several companies.
These are Rookwood Holdings Ltd, M&M Aggregates Ltd, Harewood Holdings Ltd, Maugers Garage Ltd and Cass Street Recycling Ltd.
Templeton is not currently a director or owner of any companies, but was on the board of council-owned company Christchurch City Holdings Ltd, and received a $48,400 salary which she donated to the Mayor’s Welfare Fund as per council rules.
Former mayor Garry Moore (1998-2007) supports Templeton’s grassroots fundraising approach, but he personally avoided involvement in financial matters during his three successful campaigns.
Instead, he appointed a manager to oversee donations through a blind trust.
This meant he never knew who was donating to him during a campaign or how much they had contributed.
“My focus was on reflecting the different communities in Christchurch and leaving the fundraising to other people,” Moore said.
He believes small donations can fuel a successful campaign.
“I’d just been on an average wage when I won the mayoralty. I wasn’t surrounded by big money.”
Former city councillor Paul Lonsdale, who ran for mayor in 2013, noted that fundraising can be a major factor in election outcomes.
In that race, Lianne Dalziel spent $55,000 and won with 72,600 votes, while Lonsdale, who spent $11,400, finished with 22,855 votes.
