Gorton tops Bastin in fundraising this quarter, still trails in overall cash in mayor’s race

Lexington mayoral candidate Linda Gorton raised more money than Ronnie Bastin this fundraising quarter but Bastin has raised more overall and has more cash to spend less than 30 days before the Nov. 6 general election, campaign finance reports show.

Reports filed with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance showed Gorton raising $78,010 for the fundraising period from Sept. 8 to Oct. 7. Bastin raised $50,310. Bastin’s total was buoyed by a $12,000 personal loan, campaign finance reports show.

Bastin, a former Lexington police chief and first-time candidate, has raised a total of $323,854, almost twice what Gorton has raised for the general election. He has $133,628 left to spend. He had previously loaned his campaign $55,000 for a total of $67,000 for the general election. Gorton has raised a total of $169,995 and has $86,629 left to spend, according to campaign finance reports.

Gorton, a former vice mayor and the longest-serving city council person, has not loaned her campaign any money in the general election, campaign finance reports show. The race is nonpartisian. Gorton is a Republican. Bastin is a Democrat.

This is the first time Gorton has raised more than Bastin in a fundraising quarter in the primary or general election.

Bastin out-raised and out-spent Gorton in the six-way May 22 mayoral primary. Gorton, who has been outspent in previous races, received 42 percent of the vote, compared to Bastin’s 25 percent in May and heads into the general election with a 17 point lead. There have been no publicly released polls in the race.

Bastin continues to raise money from the business, development and real estate sectors. He received $900 from local developer Phil Greer; $1,000 from Thomas Wynne of Alliance Coal and $500 from William Pickett of Pickett Homes. He also received money from the agricultural industry including $250 from R.D. Storm of the Storm Family Farm and $300 from Warren Rosenthal of Patchen Wilkes Farm.

Gorton, a retired nurse, raised money from the agricultural, medical and business sectors. Gorton received a total of $12,000 from six members of the Goodman family, which owns Mount Brilliant Farm and $500 from Headley Bell of Nicoma Bloodstock. Various doctors and nurses donated a total of $1,200. Gorton has also received money from developers including a total of $4,000 from two employees of Langley Properties and $1,000 from builder Jimmy Nash.