Mayoral candidates discuss funding

Only a few weeks into the Bloomington Democratic mayoral primary campaigns, the issue of campaign contributions and who is donating to the politicians in the race has become a relevant issue.

Democratic Mayor Mark Kruzan and challenger John Hamilton have both said they will rely primarily on individuals’ contributions to their campaigns.

Hamilton pledged not to accept donations from businesses. Kruzan said he will accept local business’ donations and that he will fully disclose contributions.

MAYOR MARK KRUZAN
“I have accepted already this year campaign contributions from businesses in Bloomington,” Kruzan said. “Local businesses are hosting fundraising events for us. These are people with an interest in the community.”

He said he has accepted business contributions in his previous campaigns as well, and that this year, the vast majority of his funds are coming from individuals, not businesses.

Kruzan and the previous three Democratic mayors all accepted local business donations, and no one suggested it was a problem, he said.

“I have literally hundreds of independent supporters from Bloomington,” Kruzan said. “This campaign is driven by individual contributions from within the city of Bloomington.”

JOHN HAMILTON
Hamilton released a statement Feb. 7 that said he will not accept campaign contributions from businesses.

“I overall do believe we have too much money in politics, in particular from corporations,” he said.

Hamilton said his decision to refuse business contributions was partially inspired by the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 decision to allow corporations to directly contribute to political campaigns.

“I think that’s the wrong decision,” he said. “Even if they have the right to give, I don’t have to take it.”

He also said he wants citizens to be confident that the city is not contracting work to businesses based on their contributions to the mayor’s political campaign.

“We are a very progressive city,” Hamilton said. “We ought to run a campaign based on individual contributions.”