SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — While the costly and contentious fight for State Senate District 7 was far and away the most expensive race, several other campaigns racked up six-figure fundraising and spending totals. Based on the latest available campaign finance reports, we dug into quarter three and overall financial details.
The Q3 reports cover campaign finance activity between July 1 and October 17, some of the most active time during the election cycle, especially for expenditures on advertising. But even prior to Q3, local candidates had raised over $2.5 million, as WHQR reported in August.
Typically, the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE) requires Q3 reports by October 27, representing the last available full picture of fundraising and spending before Election Day — although 48-hour notices for donations over $1,000 received after October 17 are also available. Due to a backlog at the North Carolina State Board of Elections, not all reports were available, so we weren’t able to report prior to the end of early voting. But, as campaign finance is of perennial interest, Port City Daily, WECT, and WHQR wanted to provide an overview of how campaigns were supported and how they spent their money.
Under state law, the maximum donation for individuals and PACs alike is $6,800. However, donors can give the maximum amount during primary and general election cycles, even if the candidate receiving funding doesn’t face a primary opponent. For that reason, final tallies for an even-year election can show a donor giving up to $13,600.
NC Senate District 7
Senate District 7 covers most of New Hanover County, with the exception of ‘the notch,’ a portion of downtown Wilmington that is covered by Senate District 8. Republican incumbent Michael Lee lost to Democratic newcomer Jessica Bichler.
Republican incumbent Senator Michael Lee — $2.8 million
Lee raised $2,805,965 by the end of Q3, including in-kind donations of $959,174 from the North Carolina Senate Majority Fund (Lee is the Senate Majority Leader and was a frontrunner to succeed Phil Berger as Senate President Pro Tempore). Lee raised $412,624 from other political committees (including PACs) and $1,410,660 from individual donations.
PAC donations came from dozens of organizations representing real estate and development, healthcare, and energy production. In Q3, maximum $6,800 PAC contributions came from Duke’s employee PAC, Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, North Carolina Advocates for Justice (representing trial lawyers and legal professionals), NC Beer and Wine Wholesalers, NC Home Builders Association Build PAC, NC State Farm Agents PAC, the PAC for Nelson Mullins Riley Scarborough PAC (a lobbying firm that represents New Hanover County among other clients), the North Carolina Association of Electric Cooperatives, the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association, North Carolina Dental PAC, North Carolina Healthcare Facilities, OrthoCarolina PA, Wilmington Anesthesiology PAC, and the Southern States Police Benevolent Association. Also, while a nonprofit and not a PAC, the Catawba Indian Nation made a maximum donation.
Lee also received over 160 individual contributions in Q3, more than two dozen of whom gave the maximum amount, including developer Roy Carroll and software developer James Goodnight. Donations also came from two influential philanthropic families who gave the maximum: influential conservative businessman James Authur ‘Art’ Pope and his wife Katherine both gave $6,800; the McNeil family, which runs Liberty Healthcare and has also philanthropically supported UNCW, gave $27,200 between brothers John “Sandy” McNeill Jr. and Ronald “Ronnie” McNeill and their wives.
The Lee campaign spent $2,360,692 in Q3 ($2,606,531 from the beginning of the race). His top expense was just over $1.7 million spent in the third quarter on media buys through Louisiana-based marketing and consulting firm People Who Think, LLC. Much of the roughly $960,000 spent by the Senate Majority Fund went to direct mail advertising. Smaller but notable expenditures include $63,308 paid to Meta for social media ads and $24,365 paid to Kentucky-based Starboard Strategy, LLC. The campaign also paid $13,431 in credit card processing fees and $10,319 for campaign operating expenses to Debbie Bowden, who works for Lee’s law firm.
Lee had $297,631 remaining cash on hand at the end of Q3. His campaign also received at least a dozen donations after October 17, totalling at least $50,000, as well as additional in-kind support from the Senate Majority Fund.
Democratic challenger Jessica Bichler — $1 million
Democrat Jessica Bichler raised a total of $1,026,629 by the end of Q3, including $622,131 from the North Carolina Democratic Party, $318,259 in individual donations, and $47,773 from other political committees (including PACs).
According to state campaign finance records, Bichler received nearly 3,000 individual donations ranging from $1 to $50 in Q3. Top individual donations over this period included $6,800 from Sanford OBGYN Lisa Jones, $6,300 from former Democratic State Senate candidate Marcia Morgan, $5,000 from Sanford physician Jeffery Keith Smith, $5,000 from attorney Anna Oliver, and $4,000 from Robert Katz of Boulder, Colorado.
Top political committee donations from Q3 included $6,800 from the pro-choice EMILY’s List PAC, $6,150 from Planned Parenthood Votes! NC PAC, $5,500 worth of in-kind support from the Chicago-based Progressive Turnout Project, $5,000 from the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, $3,823 (including in-kind support) from the NC Sierra Club, $3,000 from Greater Than, a Vermont-based women’s issues PAC, and $2,000 from Democratic Women of NC.
The Bichler campaign’s total expenditures were $997,945, nearly all spent in Q3. That included in-kind support from the state’s Democratic Party, which covered staff pay and benefits, mobilization, legal costs, and other expenses.
The top expenditures were $597,417 on Illinois-based SP Media group for broadcast ads, followed by a $205,501 digital buy from SWAY, a communications and production firm located in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Other expenses included just over $12,000 in contract services for Jonathan Garza, a campaign manager in Raleigh, just under $12,000 for social media services from Durham-based strategist Emma Larsen, and $7,000 for compliance services from Raleigh-based Maven Strategies.
Bichler had $28,683 on hand at the end of Q3, though she received over $100,000 in additional support from the North Carolina Democratic Party since October 17, according to 48-hour reports filed with NCSBE.
NC Senate District 8
Senate District 8 covers Bladen and Columbus counties, and “the notch,” a portion of downtown Wilmington. Republican incumbent Bill Rabon retained his seat in the 2026 midterm election.
Republican Incumbent Bill Rabon — $518,188
Rabon brought in a total of $518,188, with more than half coming in during the third quarter. The majority of his $532,052 expenditures was the $446,850 he spent on other candidates and political committees. He began the campaign with $39,309 cash on hand.
Twenty-five of his 70 donations were $6,800 or over. Rabon received a total of $305,950 from PACs (political action committees, which do not have a formal affiliation with a particular party), and $31,136 from political party committees, which are affiliated with the party. Of the PAC donations, $123,050 came in during the third quarter of the campaign.
Rabon received some large last-minute donations in late October: a $15,478 contribution from the NC Senate Majority Fund, and a $6,800 donation from Michael Rabb, of Florida.
Individual contributions in general picked up in the third quarter, with $128,900 of the total $181,100 the candidate raised from individuals coming in during this period.
Overall, though, committee spending far outpaced individual spending.
The NC Realtors PAC trailed the NC Senate Majority Fund for second-place among donors, giving a total of $13,600 over the course of the campaign. Charter Communications PAC came in third, at $11,800.
PACs that gave $6,800 were Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC, the Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, Centene Corp, Duke Energy, NC Association of Electric Cooperatives, NC Beer and Wine Wholesalers, NC Home Builders, NC Hospital Association, NC Restaurant and Lodging, and the University Development Coalition.
The Catawba Indian Nation and Providence Anesthesiology Associates PAC gave Rabon $4,000 each.
McGuire Woods Federal, Reynolds American, and Rocket State each gave $3,000, while the NC Farm Bureau, NC Nursery and Landscaping Association, and Syngenta Corp each gave $2500. Carolink, East Rising, Lowe’s, the Norfolk Southern Corporation Good Government and the NC CPA PACs all gave $2,000.
Rabon’s largest contribution was $275,000 to the NC Senate Majority Fund. A $6,800 donation to Friends of Chris Stock, who is running for NC Senate District 18, came in a distant second. Rabon also donated $3,950 to the Brunswick County GOP, and $3,000 to Friends of NRA.
Democrat Rick Combes — $2,158
Democratic challenger Rick Combes has received a campaign total of $2,158, with $639 coming from the Brunswick County Democratic Party in the first quarter of the campaign, and the remainder from individuals. He received $349 from individuals in the third quarter and no further funds from any committee. His total operating expenditures were $1,457, with the majority, $1,178, spent in the third quarter. He had $324 cash on hand at the end of Q3.
Libertarian Tim White — $780
Libertarian challenger Tim White, of Bolivia, Brunswick County, ran a mostly self-funded campaign, which he said during a candidates’ forum was a deliberate choice. He received a total of $780, with $640 coming in during the third quarter. According to campaign financial disclosure documents, he spent exactly as much as he received. Expenses were not itemized, and the donor for the initial $139 contribution in the first quarter was not named.
House District 17
House District 17 covers north and western Brunswick County, including Leland. Republican incumbent Frank Iler maintained his House seat in the 2026 elections.
Incumbent Republican Frank Iler — $75,540
Iler received a campaign total of $75,540, with $20,876 raised during the third quarter. He began the campaign with $7,138, and he spent a total of $77,556, with $14,950 going to other candidates and political committees.
Iler’s PAC donations came out to $31,629, with $11,776 coming in during the third quarter. Unlike some other GOP candidates, the majority of his contributions, $43,171, came from individuals, rather than PACs or political committees. He received no money from political party committees. Thirteen of his 30 donations were $1,000 or more, with half a dozen of those exceeding $2,000.
Iler’s largest donation was $10,000 from the Carolina Asphalt Pavement Association, followed by an individual donation of $7,000 from Debbie Sloan Smith, a Realtor. The NC Auto Dealers Association PAC gave $4,052, and the NC Realtors PAC gave $4,000. George A. Sloane III, another realtor and private individual, gave $3,500. The NC Association of Electric Cooperatives gave $2,700, the Carolink PAC gave $1,500, and Duke Energy Corporation PAC gave $1,000. The Frank Williams Committee, of Leland, contributed $1,977.
Iler’s largest expense was $36,108,69 for website, email, mailer and digital ad services from Frontier Political Group. He paid $15,000 to the NC House Republican Caucus for “operating expenses.” He sponsored a dinner by the Brunswick County Republican Party with $3,150. He paid Pioneer Specialties, a vendor out of Leland, $2,811 for campaign novelties like hats and hand sanitizer, and he spent $428 on credit card processing fees.
Democrat Dennis Breen — $8,912
Challenger Dennis Breen received a total of $8,912, with $6,287 coming in during the third quarter. The majority of his contributors were individuals, with many of them donating through ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform. He received no money from Democratic Party-affiliated committees.
The smallest sums he received were three donations for $9.44 from unnamed donors through ActBlue, the democratic fundraising platform. Breen himself contributed a check for $2,500 to his committee, Breen for NC 17. His next two highest donations were for $600, from Anita August, and $500, from Susan Bridges, both listed as retirees.
Breen’s total expenditures were $6,141, with the majority, $4,362, spent during the final quarter of the campaign. He spent money on printing, billboards, and web hosting.
House District 18
House District 18 covers large parts of Wilmington. Democratic incumbent Deb Butler maintained her NC House seat.
Democrat incumbent Deb Butler — $60,649
Butler raised $60,649. Butler’s top donor was Daniel Cameron, who gave $1,000. Topping her receipts were PACs: NC Association of CPAs and NC Realtors, who both gave $2,000, followed by NC Association of Electric Cooperatives, which gave $750.
She also had 18 donors who gave between $100 and $500. The APCI Association Insuring America gave $500. The Democratic Women of Pender County donated $200.
For expenditures, Butler spent a total of $51,798. She spent $24,900 on television ads with WECT News. She also gave $10,000 to the NC House Democratic Caucus and $5,000 to the Democratic Party. She also spent $3,087 on campaign software. Her other spending was for website payments, the New Hanover County NAACP and credit card processing fees.
Republican challenger Latisha Grady — $29,103
Republican challenger for NC House District 18 Latisha Gray raised $29,103. For Quarter 3, she had upwards of 30 total donors. Her top donor was D Logan, president of Logan Homes, who gave $11,800. Other top donors were Susan Meyers, managing partner at Eastern Carolina Broadband, who donated $1,825, followed by Jean Cooley, $1,260.
The NC Republican Party gave $1,139, followed by the New Hanover County Republican Party, which gave $1,139.
For Grady’s expenditures, she spent $14,459 mainly on print campaign materials ($4,354) with New Hanover Printing. She also spent $2,634 on a fundraising event and $1,268 on campaign shirts with Port City Apparel. Grady also paid agriculturalist and political organizer Immanuel Jarvis $715 for a speaking fee at one of her campaign events; she also paid $750 for a podcast appearance fee for Philatherapy.
House District 19
House District 19 covers southeastern and coastal Brunswick and southern New Hanover County. Republican incumbent Charlie Miller maintained his NC House seat.
Republican incumbent Charlie Miller — $266,371
Overall, Miller’s campaign raised $266,371, including $209,926 in individual contributions (plus a small amount, $175, in aggregated contributions), $2,601 from political parties, and $46,717 from PACs and other political committees. In Q3 alone, Miller raised $94,250 from individuals, $2,206 from political parties, and $26,000 from PACs.
Top individual donors in Q3 included family nurse practitioner Robb Cass, who gave $6,800 (and $11,800 overall), Nelson Blanks, manager of Southport’s Frying Pan restaurant, who gave $6,000, Davis Herring, Jr. who gave $5,000, and real estate broker Sherol Lappala who gave $3,750, real estate broker Bonner Herring who gave $3,400. Miller also received $6,800 from Cynthia Uter, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, after Q3, according to a 48-hour report.
PAC donations in Q3 included several energy-sector organizations: Duke Energy’s employee PAC gave $5,000, the NC Association of Electric Cooperatives gave $1,000 (and $4,000 overall), and Dominion Energy’s PAC gave $1,000.
Other top PAC donations included $2,000 from the NC Dental Society ($3,000 overall) and $2,000 from the NC Realtors PAC ($5,000 overall), and $2,000 from NCFIREPAC (created by the Professional Fire Fighters and Paramedics of North Carolina). Miller also received $2,500 from Republican State Senator Bill Rabon’s committee. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians also made a $6,800 donation.
Miller’s total expenditures were $242,579, with $134,726 in Q3. Much of his expenses came in the form of donations to candidates, parties, and other organizations.
The campaign gave $50,000 to the North Carolina Republican Party, $25,000 to the North Carolina House Republican Campaign Committee, $12,950 to the New Hanover County GOP, and $7,550 to the Brunswick County GOP. It also gave $10,800 to the Brunswick County Sporting Dog Association and
$7,600 to the Friends of the NRA.
Campaign expenses included $10,666 for North Carolina-based Capen Consulting, $10,507 at the Edgewater 122 restaurant in Southport, $3,235 for campaign hats, and $ 2,180 for meetings with constituents.
Miller ended Q3 with $46,595.98 cash on hand.
Democrat Scott Nasiff — $68,811
Nasiff has raised $68,811, including $25,147 in Q3. Most of that, $62,835, was from individual donations ($22,523 in Q3). Overall, Nasiff has also raised $2,337 from aggregated smaller donations (under $50), $2,140 from political party committees, and $1,500 from PACs.
Top donors include Thomas Ruehle, who gave $3,070 overall, Leo Pacyna, who has given $2,065 overall, and Mark Fields, who has given $1,020 through Q3. Nasiff also received $1,500 from the NC Progressive House Caucus PAC and $500 from the Brunswick County Democratic Party.
Top expenses include $27,692 for SWAY, a communications and production firm located in Chevy Chase, for internet ads. Nasiff’s campaign also spent $2,268 on the State Port Pilot and $1,575 on the Brunswick Beacon for print ads, as well as $2,351.67 on Demprinting.com for yard signs.
Nasiff’s campaign has spent $50,553.33 through Q3, and had $18,258.08 cash on hand at the end of the quarter.
House District 20
House District 20 covers the northern part of New Hanover County. Democrat Dr. Tim Merrick has won the NC House 20 seat; however, Republican Dane Scalise is in the range for a recount. If the margin more or less holds, he can file that request at the canvass on Friday, November 13.
Republican Dane Scalise — $753,896
Scalise, who is a New Hanover County commissioner, raised $753,896, of which $423,297 came from individuals and $327,363 came from PACs or other political committees. The North Carolina House Republican Party gave him $286,461 mainly for media, surveys, and other advertising.
His second largest donor was the IIANC PAC, an independent insurance agents PAC, at $7,800.
For Quarter 3, Scalise had just over 100 donors, including individuals, PACs, and political committees.
His top two individual donors were engineers Stephen Bright and John Talbert of Talbert and Bright who both gave $7,000 each. Christopher Perry of Perry’s Emporium gave $6,800 as did homemaker Kelly Thomas, and the NC Homebuilders Association PAC.
Other major PACs who gave to Scalise were Wilmington Anesthesiology PAC ($4,000), Southern States PBA PAC Fund ($4,000), Island Preservations ($3,000), NC Health Care Facilities Association PAC ($3,000), NC Realtors PAC ($2,000), NC Automobile Dealers Association ($1,026),
PACs who gave $1,000 included Back to One PAC (film technicians PAC), NABIP-NC (Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals), NC Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association PAC, and the NC Dental Society PAC.
For political committees, the Lower Cape Fear Republican Women’s Club gave $2,250. He also has a legal expense fund worth $3,000.
He also filed two recent 48-hour reports, with attorney John Hearne giving $1,000.
Scalise has spent $655,454 on campaign mailers, social media ads, contributions to the NC House Republican Caucus, campaign commercials, and processing fees.
His top expense was $109,560 to Arena Mail and Digital, followed by $70,000 to the NC House Republican Caucus, and $50,000 to Poolhouse Agency LLC for a media buy.
He also spent $30,915 on campaign consulting with Capital Communications Inc. Other over $10,000 expenditures were with Game Changers ($23,250), Fire Horse Films ($18,076), Campaign HQ, for campaign texts, ($13,289), and campaign processing fees for Anedot ($10,058).
Scalise also paid treasurer Debbie Bowden $3,968, and the New Hanover County GOP $3,300 for the Deb Hays Memorial Golf tournament, in honor of the former Wilmington planning commission and New Hanover County commissioner. He also gave $250 to each of the Republican candidates running for school board – Josie Barnhart, Dr. Amy Dunning, Pat Bradford, and Chris Sutton.
Dr. Tim Merrick — $364,177
Merrick, who is a New Hanover County Board of Education member, raised $364,177, about half came from over 1,000 individuals, and around 60 of those donors gave at least $1,000; and the other half came from PACs or political organizing committees.
Merrick emailed WHQR on Election Day that his campaign had roughly raised around $518,000. Most of those additional funds were raised after the Quarter 3 deadline of October 17.
Merrick has had three 48-hour filings recently. One was for $50,000 from the North Carolina Democratic Party. Their total investment in Merrick was $155,194. Lawyer Robert Zaytoun gave $1,000, and Mary Vogelsong also gave that amount.
His top individual donor is veterinarian Kari Snook, who donated $11,050, followed by James Kelly of Lerrink Partners, an equity research firm, who gave $9,000.
For PACs supporting Merrick, Jane Fonda Climate PAC gave $5,000 and Planned Parenthood Votes! South Atlantic gave $4,000. Progressive Turnout Project gave $1,750.
Merrick spent $364,568 – and has a negative balance in his ‘cash on hand’ of $390. His main spending went to television advertisements with K Squared Media LLC ($76,960) and Old Town Media LLC ($64,582). He also used Express Land Strategies, LLC, for consulting on fundraising, spending $27,553. He paid Rachel Hatfield $24,980 to help him run his campaign.
Other funds were spent on processing campaign donations, on software programs, and on fundraising events.
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