Oklahoma City Council Ward 2 fundraising documents display candidates' differences

After the March 1 primary, a field of six was whittled to two. An April 5 runoff between Charlie Swinton, a senior banking officer, and Ed Shadid, a doctor, will determine who will succeed Councilman Sam Bowman.

As of last Sunday, Swinton had collected more than $100,000 and Shadid had raised more than $75,000 in campaign donations.

Shadid has decided to mostly self-finance his campaign. While he has accepted endorsements from the local firefighters and police unions, he has not accepted donations from any political action committee or group. The bulk of his donations are checks he has written his own campaign.

“When a politician receives a large amount of money from a financial benefactor it introduces an element of bias, whether it's conscious or subconscious it makes it difficult for that politician to interpret the data effectively for the taxpayer,” Shadid said. “You don't have to give me money for me to hear your voice.”

Swinton, on the other hand, is proud of the wide-ranging support displayed in fundraising documents. Hundreds of individuals and several businesses, labor and other interest groups have given to his campaign.

“I wish I was a doctor and could write my own checks, but I'm not,” Swinton said. “We're very proud of the fact we have over 300 people that I do I think shows broad-based support throughout the community.”