Sandra Bradbury is outraising her challenger for re-election as Mayor of Pinellas Park … sort of. Bradbury has raised more than $7,600 as of February 12. Her opponent, Keith Sabiel, has brought in more than $10,000. But he didn’t raise it. Sabiel is self-funding his mayoral bid.
Campaign finance reports show that during the month of January, Sabiel loaned himself $4,500. Then between February 1st and February 12th Sabiel loaned his campaign another $5,500.
Meanwhile, Bradbury brought in nearly $4,000 in January. She managed to get $1,500 from high-profile lobbyist Ron Book who contributed the maximum $1,000 as a business and another $500 as an individual. She also brought in $1,000 from the company Waste Management and $500 each from Joe’s Towing and Harris Sanitation.
During the month of January Bradbury only brought in one contribution from Pinellas Park. That came from realtor Richard Butler.
Bradbury spent about half of her January haul that same month. That $1,700 was spent on yard signs and materials.
Between February 1st and February 12th Bradbury raised more than $3,300. While the latest finance reporting period included several small contributions from Pinellas Park residents, Bradbury continued to attract outside money.
The Realtors Political Advisory Committee donated $1,000 and the Alligator Attraction in Madeira Beach kicked in $500. Some $200 contributions rolled in from inside the city from Jennifer Egland Wyatt, Douglas James and James Desrochers. Menna Development and management, a Clearwater company, donated $300.
Bradbury spent about $3,200 over the 12-day span. Most of that money went to mailers from Direct Mail Systems. The rest was spent on website design and materials and labor for campaign signs.
Bradbury has spent more than $5,000 so far on her re-election bid. She has just shy of $2,500 left in her campaign coffers. Meanwhile, Sabiel has less than $1,000 left in the bank.
In January Sabiel spent just shy of $3,000 for signs from National Traffic signs and another $875 to Bryan Printing for post cards and fliers. During the first two weeks of February Sabiel spent another $1,400 on printing and nearly $4,000 for postage.
Bradbury was elected in 2012 and then re-elected in 2014 without opposition. She also served on Pinellas Park City Council from 2002 until she was elected Mayor.
She has served as chair of the Suncoast League of Cities and as a member of the Mayor’s Council of Pinellas County. In 2008, the Tampa Bay Business Journal awarded Bradford it’s Business Woman of he Year Award.
Bradbury is also the daughter of former Pinellas Park Mayor Cecil Bradbury.
Sabiel previously served the city’s director of public utilities before retiring. Hes headed the department for more than 15 years and worked in the department for more than 40. He now serves on the city’s planning and zoning commission. Sabiel ran unsuccessfully for Pinellas Park City Council in 2014.
