Delaware Gov. John Carney has raised over $100,000 in his run for Wilmington mayor in just two months, quickly surpassing funds raised by Democratic candidate Velda Potter-Jones, according to 2023 year-end campaign finance reports.
Campaign finance reports filed with the Delaware Department of Elections show Carney raised $111,365 in the two months since creating his mayoral campaign committee, Carney for Wilmington, in November.
By comparison, Jones-Potter raised about $24,445 and loaned her campaign $27,500 in all of 2023.
Jones-Potter was the first to announce her run for Wilmington mayor in March 2023, and it wasn’t until current Mayor Mike Purzycki announced he would not seek a third term that Carney expressed interest in the executive role.
When asked about Carney outpacing her on fundraising, Jones-Potter acknowledged the importance of raising campaign funds but stressed that doesn’t equal votes.
“Financing is important to any campaign, and our efforts and momentum coming in 2024 are already producing increased financial support and we will have the funds necessary for a successful campaign,” Jones-Potter said in an emailed statement Wednesday. “That said, we understand very clearly that ‘dollars don’t equal votes!'”