Does money talk?
Dixie Dan Powell’s campaign war chest for circuit judge is more than four
times that of Terry Ketchel’s
By TOM McLAUGHLIN – Ft. Walton Beach Daily News
When candidate Terry Ketchel commented in March that it would take
$200,000 to $250,000 to run this year’s campaign for the Group 15 circuit
judge’s seat, his opponent, Dixie Dan Powell, took him at his word.
Powell has put just over $186,000 of his own money into his campaign — or
more than half of the total of $300,400 he’s raised. Another $5,250 of
that came from Powell’s law firm, relatives or people with the last name
of Powell.
“I’m just doing what Mr. Ketchel, who’s a professional politician, told
the public we’d have to do,†Powell said. “He said $200,000 would be what
it cost to run an effective campaign. I just relied on what Mr. Ketchel
said.â€
According to campaign finance reports submitted Oct. 6 to election
officials, Powell’s war chest far surpasses that of Ketchel’s $65,697.
Records indicate Ketchel and his law firm contributed just $200 to his
campaign.
While Okaloosa-Walton Bar Association president Ashley Herndon said there
are no specific contribution rules for judicial campaigns — other than
that sitting judges can’t contribute — Ketchel said he’s heard rumblings
of discontent over Powell’s personal spending.
“People are wondering why somebody would spend that much money to get
elected judge,†Ketchel said.
The incentive might be the judicial salary of $145,000 for the Group 15
seat, which is based in Okaloosa County.
But Powell said he’s running to serve the public and, although he
confessed to not knowing what the exact salary for the circuit judge would
be, he figured it would be a pay cut.
“I’ve been a successful businessman and a successful attorney,†he said.
“I think my opponent might be looking forward to the salary, but I’m not
and my wife’s not.â€
Ketchel said Powell’s big financial advantage played a much larger role in
the Sept. 5 primary than it will in the Nov. 7 general election, which
will serve as a runoff for the two Okaloosa residents.
In the primary, Ketchel finished ahead of Powell by 3,539 votes in the 1st
Judicial Circuit — which also includes Escambia, Santa Rosa and Walton
counties — despite being outspent $261,000 to $57,000.
“We’re very confident we’ll be able to prevail, even though I’m sure we
will be outspent in the second round,†he said
Since the primary, Powell has relied almost exclusively on himself to
raise money. Of the $33,300 he’s listed as contributions, $31,300 has come
out of his own pocket.
Ketchel has $9,000 in contributions, none from himself.
Ketchel, who ran for Congress against incumbent Earl Hutto in 1990 and
1992, said that when he told the newspaper he anticipated having to spend
$200,000 to win the Group 15 seat, he overestimated the interest the race
would generate. He said he believes he’ll raise another $34,000 before
Election Day to give himself about $100,000.
“We will have sufficient funds to get our message out,†he said.
Powell said he’s just spending the money necessary to run.
“I don’t think it’s a question of trying to spend money to get elected.
That’s the money it takes to run a campaign,†he said. “I know when I get
a bill, someone’s got to write the check.â€