Douglas County commission candidates, from left: Democrat Nancy Thellman (2nd District), Independent Jesse Brinson Jr. (2nd District), Democrat Bassem Chahine (3rd District), Republican Michelle Derusseau (3rd District).

Both candidates for the 2nd District Douglas County Commission’s seat entered the campaign’s homestretch with plentiful cash on hand for a final push.

In campaign finance reports posted Monday on the Douglas County Clerk’s Office web site, incumbent Democrat Nancy Thellman reports as of Oct. 27 her campaign had $6,439 cash on hand from the $13,198 raised since July 22. Thellman said a final large mailer would consume her remaining cash.

Her opponent, Jesse Brinson Jr. reports $2,374 available from the $7,781 raised since July 22. Brinson entered the race in July after collecting the required number of signatures to qualify as an independent. However, one of the donations listed on his report is a $250 contribution from the Douglas County Republican Central Committee.

In the 3rd District, Republican Michelle Derusseau raised more than four times the amount of her Democratic opponent Bassem Chahine.

Derusseau started her general election campaign with $1,159 on hand from the cash she raised for her Republican primary race against Jim Denney. She raised another $6,995 before the Oct. 27 reporting date and spent all but $79.43 of her campaign war chest. Of that total was $710 in loans Derusseau or her husband, Ron Derusseau, made to her campaign, which were later repaid.

Derusseau received a $500 donation from the Lawrence Professional Firefighters Political Action Committee, Individuals contributing $500 to her campaign include area CEO Harry Herington and his wife, Cindy Herington, Kansas University benefactors Dana and Sue Anderson and both local McDonald’s franchisees Tom Dobski and Marilyn Dobski, of Lawrence.

In contrast, Chahine raised $1,500 in the three-month span and spent just $580 of that total. He received another $743 in in-kind contributions.

Chahine was the largest donor to his campaign with $750 in donations. The only contributor to donate $200 or more for Chahine’s campaign was Lawrence attorney James Rumsey.

Thellman received $500 donations from the Topeka law firm of Fincher, Muson and Sinclair and Wil and Pete’s LLC of Lawrence. George and Bev Wilson of Lawrence also donated $500 to her campaign. Thellman and her husband, Scott Thellman, contributed $1,200 to her reelection campaign

Brinson’s first large donor was Richard Lorenzo, president of Called to Greatness Ministries for which Brinson is a youth minister. Also contributing $500 donations were both Joseph Harvey, a dentist from rural Baldwin City, his wife, and Lawrence residents Mary Harvey, Sarah Rooney and the Rev. John McDermott of Morning Star Church in Lawrence.

Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson, Treasurer Paula Gilchrist, Sheriff Ken McGovern, Register of Deeds Kay Pesnell and County Clerk Jamie Shew, are all on the ballot unopposed. None of the incumbent office holders raised campaign money in this election cycle.