Governor far outraising his Democratic challengers
The latest reports on the fundraising hauls of the candidates for Arizona governor are in, and offer the first glimpse of the financial backing the contenders have received.
Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican incumbent from Paradise Valley, has no primary opponent. He likely won’t be forced to significantly dip into his war chest until after the Aug. 28 primary.
Sen. Steve Farley, a Democrat from Tucson, outraised his primary rival, David Garcia, an associate professor at Arizona State University. A third Democrat from Tucson, Kelly Fryer, did not report any money.
The Democrats will face each other in the primary and the winner will ad-
vance to the Nov. 6 general election.
Here are our takes from the hundreds of pages of campaign-finance reports:
1. Ducey brought the money
The governor drew from his strong fundraising capabilities and raked in more than $2.8 million in donations. Donors include a who’s who of corporate and political players. They include his closest allies, fans who privately express frustration and skepticism with his agenda and style, and even his fiercest critics.
Some of the biggest names include: Arizona Cardinals President Michael Bidwill; Arizona Public Service/Pinnacle West CEO Don Brandt; developer Don Diamond; businessman Paavo Ensio and his wife, Marguerite, known for their support of Christian and conservative causes and candidates; schoolchoice backer Sydney Hay, a lobbyist for school-choice group American Federation for Children; Jerry Simms, of Turf Paradise; and Norman McClelland, who helped build Shamrock Foods Co. into a dairy powerhouse, before he died in July.
2. Fodder for Ducey’s rivals
Voters will probably hear more about the $5,100 contribution to Ducey from Charles Koch, one of the world’s richest people, and chairman and CEO of Koch Industries. Koch’s political network played heavily in the 2014 gubernatorial cycle and Democrats have seized on that influence ever since.
Other possibly controversial donations to Ducey: John Kapoor, the founder and former chairman and CEO of Chandler-based Insys Therapeutics, gave $5,100. He resigned his post last year following his arrest on charges that he was involved in a scheme to bribe doctors to prescribe a fentanylbased cancer pain drug. He pleaded not guilty.
Ducey’s campaign manager J.P. Twist said the campaign gave Kapoor’s donation to the Salvation Army and asked that the money be used for an adult drug-rehabilitation program.
Toby Thomas, the president of Austin Electric, gave $5,100. Thomas and the company are being sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for being a “chronic offender” of wage violations. Ducey praised the company in his State of the State address for its work training inmates to become electricians.
The feds say the company “willfully and repeatedly” violated the Fair Labor Standards Act’s provisions on overtime and record-keeping. The company is fighting the allegations.
3. Ducey has spent almost $400K
Expenses included $7,569 for parking at the Arizona Biltmore Resort Parking, about $135,000 to fundraising consultant Lovas Co. LLC. and $476 to “Valet of the Dolls.”
The valet service is described on the company website as “girls who are the most gorgeous and extensively trained team of female ‘precision’ drives providing premiere valet parking service in Los Angeles, Denver, Orange County, and Palm Springs to restaurants and private parties/events.”
Twist said the company was chosen to work for the campaign by the host of a Ducey event. He noted the company “provided valet services (for the event) just as they have for Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama.”
4. Farley scores midsize donations
The state senator brought in his dough largely from midsize individual donations that were as little as $15.
Donors included grass-roots activists like Sue Castner and former Democratic U.S. Sen. Dennis DeConcini. He transferred nearly $60,000 from his state Senate campaign in June, after announcing his bid for governor, giving him another boost. All told, he raised more than $513,000 but spent more than half of it, largely on campaign infrastructure.
5. Garcia taps PACs
The education-leadership professor raised nearly $300,000 from small and midsize individual donations and political-action committees. Some of his donations were as little as $1 or $3 and only about a dozen cracked $1,000.
Garcia’s report illustrates his effort to work for the support of new voters. Garcia drew $17,850 from political committees, including the Latino Victory Fund and United Food and Commercial Workers Local 99. He spent two-thirds of his money on staffing, consulting and services to a Washington, D.C., firm specializing in progressive messaging. He also spent $4,500 on Public Policy Polling, which has produced polling favorable to Garcia.
He has about $94,000 left in the bank.