By Gloria Lloyd
News Editor
news3@callnewspapers.com

With no mayoral race and most school board candidates choosing not to form campaign committees this year, Sunset Hills Ward 1 aldermanic candidate Ann McMunn topped the list of fundraisers in south county elections this year.

McMunn raised $1,865 as of the time of her eight-day campaign-finance report filed just before the election.

Her opponent Joe Stewart raised $2,000.

In other races, successful Mehlville Board of Education candidate Tori Behlke raised $1,435 at the time of her last filing.

The two successful candidates in competitive aldermanic races in Crestwood, Ward 3 Alderman Grant Mabie and Ward 4 candidate Ismaine Ayouaz, both formed campaign committees, while their opponents former Ward 3 Alderman Bill Boston and Ward 4 Alderman Timothy Anderson did not.

Mabie raised $1,325 in his successful re-election campaign. Ayouaz raised $519 for his committee by the time of his last filing.

The most money spent on any race in south county came from the Crestwood Police Officers’ Association political-action committee.

The PAC raised money from a raffle fundraiser at Mid-America Arms in Affton to fund newspaper ads for the two aldermanic candidates it endorsed, Boston and Ayouaz.

Top fundraiser McMunn raised $1,865, including $1,500 from her campaign treasurer and mother, Marilyn Lyons of Affton.

She also received $250 from Phil Denton, the husband of Mayor Pat Fribis.

McMunn’s primary expenses at the time of the eight-day report were two mailings and signs, although she later took out newspaper ads.

Her opponent Stewart raised $2,000, all from himself.

His treasurer was his neighbor on Fringe Court, Kermit Starnes. Stewart’s primary expense he had filed at press time was mailers.

Behlke received the highest number of outside donations of any candidate.

She took in a number of small donations to her campaign from mostly women who live in the school district, many of whom labeled themselves as moms on the donation line asking about their employment.

Behlke was the highest vote-getter in the Mehlville race, earning 3,206 votes or 38.65 percent.

Among the contributors to her campaign was former board member Katy Eardley, sister of Jamey Murphy, one of the board members that Behlke will be replacing on the board. Behlke also loaned $300 to herself.

Of the $1,325 that Mabie raised, around half came from a loan to himself of $750.

His other donors were Hoffman Brothers for $500, his campaign treasurer Robert Weng for $100 and his mother Kris Mabie for $100.

Ayouaz raised $519 through his committee as of the eight-day report. He loaned $200 to himself, and one of his primary outside contributors was Tom Krauska of Crestwood, who contributed $200.

Ayouaz’s primary payments were made to Netbrands Media of Houston, Texas, for yard signs, and GotPrint.com.