More battle for the buck

Cincinnati residents will get the final vote for mayor, but it’s people who live outside the city who have more sway when it comes to campaign fund-raising, an Enquirer analysis of campaign contributions found.

But how and where each candidate has raised his money says a lot about their backgrounds.

State Sen. Mark L. Mallory said his opponent, Councilman David Pepper, has a natural fund-raising advantage.

“David obviously comes from a family situation where he’s going to know a much larger number of wealthy people than I do,” Mallory said. “I think I know a mix of people in terms of income levels.”

Pepper said he's raised his money through hard work from friends and acquaintances who won't ask the mayor for anything in return. Mallory's contributions, on the other hand, come more from Columbus-based special interests, he said.

“If you’re looking for someone who gets into office relatively independent, you want to look at someone who gets their money from individuals,” Pepper said.