Vicki Almond to get support from new super PAC

Vicki Almond

Councilwoman Vicki Almond has received a potentially significant boost in her bid to become the next Baltimore County executive. In mid-May, a super PAC called Baltimore County Votes was created to support her candidacy.

The super PAC’s chairperson is attorney Kathleen Bustraan.

“We think [Almond] will be successful and we want to help her to be successful,” Bustraan said.

She declined to disclose donors, funds on hand, or what the super PAC plans to do in terms of advocacy.

“We’re not prepared to disclose our strategy,” she said.

The next date that donors must be disclosed is June 15 — one day after early voting begins and 11 days before election day.

While a traditional PAC (political action committee) is limited in the amount of money it can donate to a candidate, super PACs are different. Super PACs can spend an unlimited amount of money in support of — or opposition to — a candidate, and they can accept unlimited donations. Donations to super PACs sometimes come from nonprofits or LLCs whose origins are unclear, which makes tracking down the interests behind the money extremely difficult.

Bustraan is secretary of the Central Baltimore Democratic Club. The club has not endorsed a county executive candidate, Bustraan said, because none of them received the required 60 percent threshold of support required for endorsement.

Almond, a Democrat, is running in the primary against former Del. Johnny Olszewski Jr. and state Sen. Jim Brochin. Whoever wins the Democratic primary will face state insurance commissioner Al Redmer or Del. Pat McDonough in the general election.

While all the candidates in the race have received donations from PACs, Almond is the only candidate in the county executive race who is supported by a super PAC.

Mandee Heinl, a spokeswoman for Almond, said that in accordance with election law, the campaign has not communicated with the super PAC.

“I have no idea who is donating to it, or who’s running it,” she said. “I saw that one was established and that’s all I know about it.”  

Heinl also laid to rest a rumor that the Baltimore County Victory slate, which is funded by former Baltimore County executive Jim Smith and has $375,000 in its coffers, was planning to make a large loan to Almond’s campaign.

“There will be no loan,” Heinl said. “The slate will contribute what it can, but there will be no loan.”

Smith also said he had no plans to loan Almond’s campaign money, though he did say he will be supporting Almond with a personal donation and, if asked, advice. He said he was not interested in a position in an Almond administration.

The Victory slate did recently pay for an Almond mailer. Likewise, a mailer in support of candidate Olszewski was paid for by the SEIU healthcare workers’ union. A recent mailer in support of Brochin was paid for by his campaign.

Last month, the candidates reported the following financial information for the period of mid-January to mid-May:

Almond took in $204,000, spent $84,000, and had $736,000 on hand.

Brochin took in $151,000, spent $854,000, and had $61,000 on hand.

Republican Pat McDonough took in $33,000, spent $40,000, and had $22,000 on hand.

Olszewski took in $186,000, spent $151,000, and had $540,000 on hand.

Redmer took in $167,000, spent $169,000, and had $121,000 on hand.

Early voting for the primary runs from June 14 to June 21; election day is June 26.

–Kris Henry, Towson Flyer