FAIRFAX CITY, VA — Fairfax City Council candidate Steve Chang raised $23,180 through Aug. 31, with the overwhelming majority of that money coming from a single $20,000 contribution from a Fairfax construction company, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Virginia Department of Elections.
Chang's campaign, Chang4Fairfax, reported receiving $21,100 in contributions from April through June, followed by $700 from July 1-23 and $1,380 between July 24 and Aug. 31.
The campaign finished August with $17,304.82 in cash on hand. It reported no outstanding loans or unpaid debts.
Chang's largest contribution by far came from Solid Construction Inc., a Fairfax-based construction company that contributed $20,000 on April 7.
That one contribution accounted for about 86 percent of all contributions Chang reported through Aug. 31.
The campaign did not report receiving any loans.
Chang's campaign reported only two other individual donors whose contributions during a reporting period exceeded $100 before the end of July.
J. Chapman Petersen, an attorney with Chap Petersen & Associates in Fairfax City, contributed $1,000 on May 17.
Rick Dickson, identified in the filing as a real estate developer with Dickson Company in Fairfax City, contributed $500 on July 9.
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Petersen made another $300 contribution on Aug. 28, bringing his reported contributions to Chang's campaign to $1,300.
Eunice Lee, a teacher with the Orange County Department of Education in California, contributed $500 on Aug. 2.
Chang's reports also show $880 in contributions of $100 or less across the reporting periods.
Chang also has a financial connection to The Independent News Press, a Fairfax publication that received $2,000 from his campaign for newspaper advertising — $1,000 in June and another $1,000 in August. Chang's campaign website identifies him as the publication's CEO and majority owner. His campaign finance reports describe both payments as advertising expenses.
Petersen also writes for The Independent News Press, where the publication maintains an author page for him and lists articles under his byline. The Fairfax attorney and former Democratic state senator contributed a total of $1,300 to Chang's campaign — $1,000 in May and $300 in August.
Petersen lost his bid for reelection to Saddam Salim in the June 2023 Democratic primary for Virginia's newly drawn 37th Senate District. Salim received 53.84 percent of the vote to Petersen's 46.16 percent, according to unofficial results reported at the time by the Virginia Public Access Project and Associated Press.
Chang's fundraising was heavily concentrated at the beginning of his campaign.
The campaign reported $21,100 in contributions from April 1 through June 30. That consisted of the $20,000 Solid Construction contribution, Petersen's $1,000 contribution and $100 in smaller contributions.
Chang raised another $700 during the abbreviated July 1-23 reporting period. In addition to Dickson's $500 contribution, the campaign reported $200 from smaller contributions.
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During the most recent reporting period, covering July 24 through Aug. 31, Chang reported $1,380 from 11 contributions. Lee's $500 and Petersen's $300 were the only contributions individually reported at more than $100. The remaining nine contributions totaled $580.
Chang's latest filing shows $24,180.28 in election-cycle receipts, but that figure is not the same as contributions. In addition to the campaign's $23,180 in contributions, it includes a $1,000 refund from eBay and 28 cents in transaction-fee refunds reported earlier in the campaign.
The $1,000 eBay refund was reported in July after the campaign had purchased a used handwriting machine. The filing said the equipment was not fully functional.
Chang's campaign reported $6,875.46 in total expenditures through Aug. 31.
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Among the campaign's larger expenses were the previously mentioned $2,000 in newspaper advertising with The Independent News Press, $1,508.51 in printing with S&J Printing and $1,000 for a used handwriting machine that was subsequently refunded.
During the latest reporting period, the campaign spent $2,591.45. That included $1,000 for newspaper advertising, $500 for website design and management, $459.11 for printed leaflets and $381.59 for a handwriting pen plotter and supplies.
Chang entered September with $17,304.82 in cash on hand and reported no unpaid debts.
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