Thomason, Deffenbaugh both report best fundraising cycle as council runoff election nears

Richard Thomason and Jordan Deffenbaugh are doubling down on spending as they vie to take the At-Large C seat come Tuesday for the Sioux Falls City Council runoff election.

Thomason reported bringing in another $24,900 since April 1 — the most he's raised in a reporting period since beginning his campaign.

That figure includes $10,000 from Falls Community Growth PAC, chaired by MarketBeat CEO Matt Paulson, and $5,000 from the Next Generation Leadership PAC, which is chaired by Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken. Thomason also saw a $1,000 donation from the campaign committee of Councilor Sarah Cole.

More: Thomason, Deffenbaugh head to runoff in At-Large C race as Basye wins in Northeast

Thomason reported spending $30,546.02 in the cycle, almost entirely on advertising, leaving him with $27,710.25 in his campaign committee.

Deffenbaugh also reported the highest donation total of his campaign, bringing in $9,661. He continued a trend of raising a significant portion of funds from donations under $100, which accounted for $2,222 in this report.

Other notable donations included $200 from Michael Heisler, the chair of climate action group SoDak 350, and $100 from former mayoral candidate Taneeza Islam.

More: Former city council candidate endorses Richard Thomason for At-Large C seat

Deffenbaugh reported $9,311.25 in campaign spending over the period, largely on advertising and postage, and has $3,524.85 remaining in his campaign committee.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday for the runoff election, with early and absentee voting currently ongoing at the Minnehaha County Administration Building.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls City Council candidates spending big ahead of runoff