Third finance report
As I write, my campaign treasurer and finance team are working hard to compile our next campaign finance report, which will be submitted on Saturday. They have already provided some interesting data I wanted to share with you.
Last Thursday at our final Ward 7 forum, I was accused of being heavily supported by corporate PAC’s, which isn’t remotely true, with council member Cashman also stating that we can’t let billionaire oligarchs direct our local politics, as has been happening at the federal level (Kenwood forum, 10/16/25. 1:01). News flash: they don’t. The most anyone can donate to a city council campaign is $600. As for my campaign, specifically, here are the facts:
A full two-thirds of my donors come from Ward 7: 480 out of 737 people. When we zoom out to look at the city as a whole, 85% of my donors are Minneapolis residents. Are some of these residents small business and commercial property owners? Yes, and I’m grateful for the support of people who have invested financially in our great city, and are providing much-needed amenities and tax revenue. Zooming out even further, a full 97% of my donors come from Minnesota, with almost half those donors giving $250 or less.
Local residents, not oligarchs, have been the fuel for this campaign since day one. They’re eager for change, and they’re showing it with their financial support and their generous contributions of volunteer time. That means our message gets out and gets heard – whether it’s residents delivering the DFL Endorsement in May or the current blanket of yard signs across Ward 7. Taken together, the message is clear: this is a grassroots campaign with grassroots support, and Ward 7 residents really want change. Please share these facts with your friends and neighbors, as I’m sure we’ll be hearing more in the coming days as the final pre-election campaign finance reports are released.
Lastly, due to your generosity, there is a chance Team Shaffer may surpass current city council campaign fundraising records. I am humbled by your support.