WILMINGTON — Campaign finance reports filed in the Wilmington mayoral race show local candidates have raised tens of thousands — and for one hundreds of thousands — of dollars in the months leading up to the November municipal election.
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These year’s mayoral race features three candidates: incumbent Bill Saffo (D), Jonathan Barfield Jr. (D), and Billy Craig (R). Cumulatively, they’ve raised nearly $138,000 in total funds for two reporting periods. Campaign finance reports are typically filed every six months, along with additional reports in the lead-up to the election.
The most significant comparison between the reports is the scale of the campaigns. Incumbent Saffo has raised $118,275 and operates with financial superiority over the competition, having raised roughly eight times more than Barfield ($13,878) and 19 times more than Craig ($6,245).
Overall spending habits illustrate distinct campaign strategies. Saffo runs a high-budget media campaign, allocating $35,000 to media buying and consulting. Barfield focuses on physical advertising and visibility, making his largest expense $7,294 for electronic billboard marketing. Craig maintains the leanest operation, dedicating almost two-thirds of his total expenses ($1,942) to campaign signage and holding local events.
Saffo is funded largely by significant donations, reporting only one contribution under $100. In contrast, both challengers reflect a base of small-dollar contributors, with Barfield recording 16 and Craig with 15 donations under $100.
However, to be clear, raising the most campaign funds doesn’t always equate to a win. For example, in the 2023 Wilmington City Council election, challenger John Lennon was the highest fundraiser, gathering about $95,000, but he ultimately lost his bid. Conversely, Kevin Spears, who had one of the lowest fundraising totals in the race, secured his council seat.
Below is the breakdown of reports filed so far from features January 1, 2025, to Sept. 23, 2025. The next report, to cover financial activity through Oct. 20, is due to be released on Oct. 27.
Bill Saffo
The Saffo campaign raised $118,275 in total through September. Of that total, $98,250 were from individual contributors, with the largest checks leaning heavily on local real-estate and development industries.
His campaign received the two largest individual checks of $6,000 each from general contractor Perry Krasta and Michael Lopez of Lopez Mortgage in May. Additionally, finance reports show contributions totaling $10,000 from Timothy and Vicki Milam of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, where Saffo has been a long-time real estate broker.
His campaign received another combined $10,000 from David and Jason Swain with real estate firm Swain and Associates.
The largest expenses for the Saffo campaign include investments in digital outreach and physical campaign materials, with total expenditures of $73,894.
The largest single expense reported was $35,000 to Wilmington based Firelux Creative for ad production and social media.
The campaign also showed a commitment to its online presence, paying Organic Digital Design a grand total of $5,000 through five separate payments over the election cycle for website and social media work.
Finally, in the effort to place physical advertising, the Saffo campaign spent $5,031 to Victory Store for yard and road signage, door magnets, and banners.
Notably, Saffo also had a personal investment in the form of a $20,000 loan for his campaign and is the only mayoral candidate with this filing. The loan is the largest single infusion for the incumbent during the reporting period.
Jonathan Barfield Jr.
The Barfield campaign raised a total of $13,878 and spent $13,954 on expenses, focusing on public visibility and digital marketing. The largest single expenditure reported was $7,294 spent in September with Colonial Marketing Group for electronic billboard marketing.
Other noteworthy investments include $3,671 paid to Precision Signz in August for campaign signage and $919 spent in February to GoDaddy for campaign website development. The campaign also purchased promotional materials, including $525 in July to A&M Screen Printing for campaign T-shirts.
Barfield’s funding relies on a broad mix of local professionals, totaling $12,878 in individual contributions for the cycle. The largest checks came from the finance sector, including $2,500 from Charles Schoninger, CEO of USA Investco, a real estate development firm. Schoninger is the main developer responsible for the transformation of Wilmington’s northern downtown riverfront, where his company developed and owns Port City Marina, Marina Grill, and Pier 33 Entertainment.
Another $2,500 came from Malcomb Coley, managing partner at Ernst and Young, one of the largest global professional services and accounting firms.
Other notable local support included a $1,000 donation from Pastor Edwrin Sutton of The Sending Church and $500 from New Hanover County Commissioner Rob Zapple, Barfield’s former colleague as he served on the board from 2008 to 2024.
In August, Barfield’s campaign also received political backing in the form of a $1,000 contribution from Alston for County Commissioner — Melvin “Skip” Alston is the sitting chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners.
Billy Craig
Billy Craig’s campaign has raised $6,245 to date. Of the $2,744 in total expenses, spending was concentrated on physical marketing, with the single largest expense being $1,942 for campaign signage in August. A smaller cost of $228 in September went to a campaign car wash hosted by the Loyal Order of the Moose on Carolina Beach Road.
Craig’s campaign shows a mix of grassroots support and individual donations, mostly from retirees. The largest checks came in three separate $500 increments from Wilmington residents Donald McLamb, Reid Wilson, and Chris Adam.
Craig also received notable out-of-state backing from two retirees who contributed $500 each: Roy Neal from Inman, South Carolina, and Micajah Mattocks from Hurst, Texas.
Additional support included $250 from Allstate insurance agent Diane Zaryki and $250 from general contractor and 2024 North Carolina House District 18 candidate Wallace West.
Have tips or suggestions for Charlie Fossen? Email charlie@localdailymedia.com
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