McGrane campaign gets a big helping from labor in District 3 runoff against Shey

Labor organizations are supporting Jerry McGrane in a big way in his runoff race on Tuesday against Pat Shey for the District 3 council seat.

McGrane's campaign war chest now has grown to a total of $46,226, which includes a new infusion of $24,926 since candidates reported contributions immediately prior to the Nov. 3 general election. Most of the contributions are large ones coming from labor groups.

Shey had raised $8,498 prior to the Nov. 3 general election to go with $1,456 his campaign had on hand from his City Council race in 2005. Shey had until the end of the workday Monday to update his contribution list with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board if he has additional contributions to report.

The District 3 race is particularly interesting because it pits two current council members against one another.

McGrane, 70, is a Democrat, former neighborhood leader and one-time railroad and factory worker and Shey, 50, is an attorney, former Republican state legislator and a small-business owner.

Neither received a majority of votes in the multi-candidate field on Nov. 3. Shey won 1,714 votes or 43 percent to McGrane's 1,505 votes or 38 percent.

In the latest labor contributions to McGrane, an entity called Buy Local, Build Local, Employ Local has given McGrane's campaign $10,000. The entity lists its address at the office of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 125, which also has provided McGrane with $7,000 in new funds.

Shey's contributions to date have come from individuals except for a $350 contribution from the Master Builders of Iowa.

The state campaign board on Monday also reported that Don Karr has filed a campaign disclosure report in which he lists a total of $6,717 in contributions while his opponent in Tuesday's at-large race, Aaron Saylor, now has raised a total of $7,872, including $4,559 since the Nov. 3 general election.

Karr, 64, is a long-time owner of Affordable Plumbing and Remodeling, which he has sold to his daughters, and Saylor, 28, is an investment Realtor.

On Nov. 3, Karr won 7,000 votes to Saylor's 6,669, though Karr's total was not sufficient to avoid a runoff in what had been a multi-candidate race for two at-large council seats. Former council member Chuck Swore won one at-large seat with 11,504 votes.