Pinellas County Clerk of Court Ken Burke more than doubled his campaign fundraising total this November, raising approximately $8,535 in donations for the month.
According to the latest supervisor of elections figures, Burke has now hauled in nearly $15,500 for his re-election bid.
Not a bad sum, considering the 55-year-old Seminole Republican has yet to draw a challenger.
Burke’s November included 45 unique contributions from all over Pinellas County: North Redington Beach, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Indian Shores, South Pasadena, and Seminole. He even got one from Tampa.
Of those donations, eight were for $500, seven were for $250, 21 were between $100 and $200, and nine were between $10 and $50.
Unsurprisingly, many of Burke’s larger donations came from area attorneys and law firms. Those from Clearwater and St. Pete had the strongest showing.
Law firms Koch, Hoffman & Kaszuba; Goodis, Thompson & Miller; and Meros, Smith, Lazzara & Onley each gave $250.
Law Offices of James Helinger, attorneys Susan Churuti, and David Cantu each contributed $500.
Despite not having to face an opponent, just over $1,000 of Burke’s November donations went toward paying postage for campaign mailers.
If anyone knows how to run unopposed, it’s Burke. Having served as county clerk of court since 2004, he’s run twice without opposition during both the 2008 and 2012 elections.
According to the Pinellas County clerk’s website, the clerk of the circuit and county courts is a “constitutional officer whose authority is derived from constitutional and statutory provisions.” They are elected to serve four-year terms. The position includes managing all courthouse records, with a local budget of approximately $43 million, and about 550 employees.
The 2016 general election is November 8.
