East Lane challenger's spending is up.

Byline: Randi Bjornstad The Register-Guard

The battle for the East Lane County commissioner's seat, pitting incumbent Don Hampton against challenger Faye Stewart, has cost $150,000 so far.

However, while spending for the year splits almost evenly down the middle, contribution and expenditure reports filed Monday show that since the May primary, Cottage Grove lumber scion Stewart has spent more than twice as much - nearly $39,000 to just over $16,000 - in his effort to unseat Hampton, a retired Oakridge teacher appointed to fill a vacancy on the board a year ago.

For this year's election, Hampton has taken in just more than $100,000 in contributions, including $36,000 since the general election season began in mid-June. Stewart's coffers include $76,000 in contributions, nearly $39,000 since mid-June.

After deducting personal loans they've both given to their campaigns - $14,000 in Hampton's case and $18,000 in Stewart's - Hampton's campaign account has a balance of about $11,000, while Stewart's shows a deficit of about $16,000.

The number and source of contributions also differs substantially between the two candidates. Hampton's largest contributors include labor groups, with the Lane County Public Works bargaining unit giving him $10,000 and county employees covered by AFSCME contributing $8,750. Property manager Tom Bowerman has given $5,000 to the campaign, while farmer Robert Emmons has donated $2,500, and University of Oregon law professor Tom Lininger - Hampton's predecessor on the board - gave $1,500. Fall Creek resident Nena Lovinger and postal clerk Ronald Norberg each have donated $1,495. Retiree Wilbur Hampton contributed $2,000, with $1,250 coming from property manager Nancy Miller. Donations of $1,000 have been given by forest technologist Norman Maxwell, employment agency owner Roscoe Divine, mortgage broker Carrie Petitti, Eugene Weekly newspaper owner Anita Johnson; and Oakridge manufacturer Polaris Inc.

Contributions of the same magnitude to Stewart's campaign include $5,000 from Eugene-based Seneca Jones Timber Co. and $2,800 from Eugene-based Wildish Sand & Gravel. Siuslaw Forest Properties donated $2,500, and $2,000 contributions came from Robbie Robinson of Starfire Lumber in Cottage Grove and land and timber company Giustina Resources. Retired developer Donna Woolley gave $1,500, with Giustina Land & Timber Co. and the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce each contributing $1,250. Donations of $1,000 came from Roseburg Forest Products, Reed's Fuel Co., real estate manager Hult & Associates of Eugene, John Alltucker of Eugene Sand & Gravel and the Rosboro Lumber Co. in Springfield.