www.roanoke.com

The cost of running for even local offices like Roanoke City Council keeps going up and up. Where do the increasingly large amounts of money to finance these campaigns come from? And does that money buy influence? Search this database of over 400 contributions (of over $100) to council and mayoral candidates in 2006 and 2008. See who the donors are, how much they gave, and, in most cases, see a map of where they live.