Money in City Council politics

Each year, each person in Boston can donate $500 to candidates for City Council. There was no City Council election this year, but the entire Council (district and at-large) is up for re-election next year. So with January 1 approaching, I have been surprised to receive two emails this week asking for donations for a election season several months away. One was from Sam Yoon, who hopes to have $60,000 in the bank by December 30. Wow! In 2003, Michael Flaherty raised $387,652 in donations and spent $403,672. The 2005 campaign saw even more cash than 2003, and it looks like there will be, predictably, even more money raised and spent next year.