We haven’t dug through the contributors, but GOP gubernatorial candidate John Munger is reporting that he raised more than $200,000 for his campaign.

That’s certainly the low-hanging fruit for Munger. The question for him: How much more will he be able to raise? His Clean Elections opponents, Gov. Jan Brewer and state Treasurer Dean Martin, are eligible for at least $707,447 for the primary campaign. (Unless a court ruling is overturned, they’ll no longer be eligible for matching funds.) Meanwhile, gun-range owner Buz Mills has put more than $2 million of his own money into his campaign and we’ve heard that he might be willing to spend even more.

Here’s Munger’s spin:

Republican Gubernatorial candidate John Munger today announced that his campaign has raised more funds than all other Republican Gubernatorial

candidates combined. According to campaign finance reports filed with the Arizona Secretary of State today, Munger’s supporters donated more than $200,000 to his campaign in contributions of all sizes as of December 31st, 2009. That figure dwarfs totals raised by other candidates — many of whom are financing their campaigns with taxpayer funds under Arizona’s “Clean Elections” law.

“The tremendous support our campaign has generated in such a short time is a clear testament to the strength of our message and the fervent desire among Arizonans for real leadership,” Munger said. “These numbers also validate my decision to run a traditional campaign and raise funds by building a broad base of support instead of relying on taxpayer money at a time when our state can least afford it.”

In particular, supporters are drawn to Munger’s Plan for Prosperity, and his proposals for eliminating Arizona’s budget deficit without raising taxes or incurring additional debt. “The more people who hear my message, the bigger our base of support grows. With this important fundraising milestone, we are one step closer to taking our state back from professional politicians and putting Arizona back on the path to a better future.”

This article appears in Jan 21-27, 2010.

Getting hassled by The Man Mild-mannered reporter

3 replies on “AZ Gov Race: Munger Raises More Than $200K”

  1. Months ago, a comment I wrote about lobbying services offered by Munger’s law firm (advertised on its website) quickly disappeared, and firm’s web advert for lobbying is now gone too.

    Munger probably won’t be flying his lobbyist flag high this year, and Arizonans will have to rely on the press and his political opponents to reveal the real cloth from which he’s cut. But industries contributing to his campaign war chest assuredly include those already paying for his firm’s legal/lobbying powers, which appear geared toward overseas labor outsourcing, secrecy profiteering and other unfortunate practices of big business that have shattered the global economy and left Arizona in a revenue crisis of historic proportion, the worst of which is certainly yet to come. That he thinks he’s the solution is beyond arrogant. It’s insulting and absurd.

  3. My bad, Jimmy. The comment to which I referred had been yanked from the Inside Tucson Business site; not The Range.

    (Doh!)

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