Holsclaw-Vermillion campaign first to report finances, shows $7,240 raised

The Republican gubernatorial ticket of Bobbie Holsclaw and William Vermillion raised just $7,240 in their first two full months of campaigning and has $2,725 on hand heading into the May 17 primary.

The Holsclaw-Vermillion ticket turned in their finances to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance on Wednesday, two days before the deadline.

Holsclaw is the Jefferson County Clerk. And she consistently raised much more than $7,000 in her four successful campaigns for clerk. In her first re-election bid, she raised more than $54,000 in the GOP primary.

This report covers fundraising from Jan. 25 when Holsclaw and Vermillion, a retired Navy officer, entered the race through March 31. Campaigns are allowed to include money raised up through midnight April 15 for this report.

Oddly, the Holsclaw-Vermillion campaign chose not to wait to include money raised from a fundraising event April 7. That scheduled event prevented Vermillion from participating in a candidate forum in Georgetown that day.

Sarah Reidy, the campaign manager, said the campaign would file an amended report through April 15 in the coming days.

Holsclaw and Vermillion face two other Republican tickets in the May 17 GOP primary — the slates of Senate President David Williams with Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer and Louisville businessman Phil Moffett with state Rep. Mike Harmon of Danville.

In January, Williams-Farmer had collected about $750,000, including $100,000 from Williams. Moffett’s campaign collected nearly $55,000 at that point, including $30,000 from Moffett.

Holsclaw had 30 donors through March 31. Of the money raised, most of it came from within Jefferson County. She spent $2,500 on the salary of campaign manager Sarah Reidy and another $1,000 to former consultant Sam Edelen, who helped the campaign early on but is no longer on the payroll.

- Ryan Alessi