Fauteux Reports Nothing in Campaign Contributions, Dunn Raises Over $10K

NEW BEDFORD - The race for the Ward Three seat on the New Bedford City Council is financially lopsided.

The Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance shows that since February 1, candidate Hugh Dunn has raised $10,875.88, and reported $5,144.39 in expenditures on his campaign thus far.

His opponent, Bethany Fauteux, has not reported any contributions or expenditures since first filing on March 2.

Reached by WBSM News this morning, Fauteux says she has not received any significant contributions to her campaign by the latest reporting period, despite holding a campaign fundraiser on March 12.

However, representatives at the Coalition for Social Justice say the organization has made in-kind contributions to Fauteux's campaign, including volunteers for phone banks and other services. The Coalition for Social Justice does not have to report their contributions until the end of the year, but candidates are required to report contributions, including in-kind donations, to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance by the end of the reporting period in which they were given.

Fauteux says she has only started to raise funds within the past few days, and is working with an auditor and the Office of Campaign and Political Finance to post updates on her campaign's finances by the end of the week.

Fauteux and Dunn are the final two candidates following a preliminary election last month. The final election for the Ward Three seat is April 25. The seat was vacated by Henry Bousquet in February.