Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger has the deepest pockets among candidates seeking election or re-election in Hamilton County in the May 1 primary or the Aug. 2 general election, according to first-quarter 2018 campaign disclosure forms.
He has deep, deep pockets.
Coppinger, at the end of the first quarter, had $213,006.96 to spend. And since he has no primary opponent, he can save most of it.
He was the county’s second best fundraiser during the quarter, collecting $22,850. Most of that came from Realtors, builders, contractors and architects, but he also had his share of bankers, doctors and health care executives. He also had the quarter’s largest contribution, $5,000 from Chatt-PAC (Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga), and its largest expenditure, $30,224.50 to Kaegi Resources of Nashville for financial consulting.
The candidate with the next largest sum on hand – less than one-third of Coppinger’s – is Sheriff Jim Hammond with $65,861.60. Like Coppinger, he has no primary opponent but still managed to be the county’s top fundraiser for the quarter with $27,220.98.