GREENVILLE — Michelle Shain, the Democratic candidate running for mayor in Greenville, has announced a record breaking fundraising haul, raising nearly as much for her campaign in three months as her incumbent has garnered in one year.
The $110,000 in contributions during the second quarter of 2023 is the largest amount a Democratic mayoral candidate has ever raised in the Upstate, according to her campaign. Shain, who served on Greenville City Council for two terms between 1999 and 2007, filed to run for mayor on March 30 and so did not post first-quarter contributions.
Incumbent Mayor Knox White raised $28,650 in the second quarter, adding to about $92,000 raised in the first months of 2023, for a year-to-date total of just over $121,000.
The sizable war chests on both sides of the campaign trail could point to a competitive race in the run up to November as White, who has been mayor for close to three decades, faces his first general election challenger since 2007. He has soundly defeated every opponent in the years since he was first elected in 1995.
Last month, he routed Joe Farmer in the Republican primary, with 2,294 votes to Farmer’s 1,229. Farmer had raised just under $18,000 in his bid for the Republican nomination.
Shain said her successful fundraising not only allows her to ramp up her campaign efforts in the months ahead of the election, but legitimizes her as a candidate seeking to unseat an institution in Greenville politics.
“It’s really exciting, there’s a lot of energy and forward motion. We’ve had a really great response and we’re not finished,” she said. “In the second stage of the campaign, we’ll have a lot of plans put in place. It just helps demonstrate I’m a serious contender.”
White could not be reached for comment Friday, but his campaign manager Somer Flowers said fundraising efforts have been successful so far, reflecting confidence in the mayor.
“We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of support Knox has received from every corner of Greenville,” she wrote. “Knox and our team have talked with voters from across the city and we hear the same message everywhere: we love Greenville and we’re grateful for Knox White’s leadership.”
White so far has not received a donation larger than $1,000, with contributors including private retirees, attorneys, business owners and developers, according to a recently posted campaign finance report.
Shain’s quarterly fundraising exceeds any posted by White since at least 2007. Her official campaign finance report will not be posted until the July 10 filing deadline, and so a list of donors is not yet available. Her campaign statement boasts the contributions came from a “diverse coalition of grassroots supporters, small donors and community leaders.”
“The outpouring of financial support is a testament to the widespread belief that Shain is the leader our community needs,” the statement reports.
Up until now, Shain said her campaign has consisted almost entirely of face-to-face interactions at public events and gatherings, as well as personal phone calls. Those efforts will continue, she said, but the infusion of resources will allow her campaign to expand its print and digital presence.
“We’re looking at how to encourage people to take a municipal election seriously,” she said. “Traditionally, there’s been a low voter turnout. We’re trying to work on that from here forward and not just wait until the fall.”
Greenville Mayor Knox White routs primary opponent in first challenge to his power
White, the longest-serving mayor in the history of Greenville, is seeking his eighth turn, running on a record as one of the architects of Greenville’s revitalization. During his tenure, he has shepherded some of the city’s most ambitious public projects, including the creation of Falls Park and, more recently, Unity Park, as well as the construction of the Woodruff Road bypass and the Fluor Field baseball park.
Shain, who was a part of some of those projects during her time on council, said her campaign is centered on managing the growth the city is experiencing and better supporting those feeling the negative impacts of Greenville’s resurgence, including low-income residents being priced out of their homes and local downtown vendors struggling to pay rent.
In 2018, White helped establish the Greenville Housing Fund, which the city contributes $2.5 million to annually to support affordable housing within its limits. This year, he threw his support behind the nonprofit taking out about $30 million in debt to accelerate its efforts.
Still, Shain said the city needs to be doing more to alleviate pressures on its low-income residents with measures such as the creation a housing court that would provide tenants with legal support and give them an avenue to expunge evictions from their records.
White previously told The Post and Courier that expanding investment in affordable housing and managing Greenville’s growth are also among his top priorities, along with alleviating traffic congestion and expanding greenspace.
The general election is Nov. 7.
In the another contested city race, incumbent at-large City Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Randal Fowler.
