Mayor Laurence Leyens has raised more money on his bid for a third term through the general campaign’s final week than at similar points in the past two elections, finance records indicate.

Leyens’ $100,819 in contributions includes $11,646 carried over from his successful re-election bid in 2005, reports show. His year-to-date funds raised outpace Democratic opponent Paul Winfield by more than $44,000. Finance reports for Tuesday’s general election show Winfield’s campaign coffers have taken in $56,373.99 since Jan. 1.

The carryover, plus a number of $1,000-and-up contributions primarily from the business community that records indicate were contributed last summer, give Leyens $38,778 in cash on hand. Overall, just $7,350 in Leyens’ campaign contributions were recorded for 2009, records show. Winfield reports $2,640.34 in available funds through Tuesday.

At this point in the 2005 race, Leyens had raised $88,716 and spent $47,909 in a four-way contest in the general election. His first campaign in 2001 raised $89,068 and spent $88,066 heading into the vote.

Nearly 70 percent of Leyens’ $62,041 in 2009 campaign spending to date has gone to various forms of advertising, from print and broadcast media to billboards. Of Winfield’s $14,866.41 in reported spending for the quarter is a $6,000 entry for a campaign event Tuesday at City Pavilion that featured blues musician Bobby Rush.

Contributions from lawyers and law firms ramped up in Leyens’ favor during the period, as $6,250 flowed his way on the report, the first and perhaps the only report expected from Leyens, 45, an independent. Winfield, 35, submitted financial records earlier this month, as was required from candidates running in a party primary. For the campaign, Winfield, an attorney, has raised $8,149 from donors in the legal profession.

Another campaign finance reporting deadline on June 9 is only for candidates in a runoff, a scenario impossible in Vicksburg’s race because only Leyens and Winfield are on the ballot for mayor.

North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield and South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman face no opposition for re-election. Mayfield filed a campaign finance report showing $4,450 in contributions and one $249.75 expenditure for advertising. Beauman has suspended fundraising for this year’s campaign.

One unsuccessful Democratic primary candidate, former North Ward alderman Gertrude Young, filed a report Tuesday showing $5,324.25 raised and $3,996 spent during the primary. Young finished second to Winfield in primary voting, with 21.5 percent of the vote out of 3,108 cast.

Candidates for municipal office in Mississippi report all campaign spending and contributions to respective city clerk’s offices. Contributions of more than $200 are to be specified in candidates’ submissions. Reports turned in Tuesday by the candidates’ respective campaigns covered funds raised and spent between April 26 and May 23.

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Contact Danny Barrett Jr. at dbarrett@vicksburgpost.com