We’ll have a lengthy look at the Republican candidates in the race to replace Pima County Supervisor Ann Day in this week’s print edition, but while you’re waiting for that, campaign-finance reports covering fundraising through May 31 were due yesterday, so let’s take a quick look at what’s happening on the money front.
We’re sure that with the presidential race and the special congressional election that voters decided last month, a lot of donors are feeling tapped out by the time local candidates ask for a check. And the reports just covered activity between Jan. 1 and May 31.
That said, the GOP candidates aren’t yet showing that they can haul in a whole bunch of money. Here’s the breakdown:
• State Rep. Vic Williams had the most money in the bank—but he also had the fewest contributors. Williams had only raised about $2,500, but had loaned the campaign $125,000 of his own money. He also transferred $17,500 from an exploratory committee into his supes campaign back at the end of January. Williams had just over $136,000 left in the bank at the end of May.
• Stuart McDaniel, a mortgage broker and former campaign staffer for congressional candidate Jesse Kelly, had raised the most from contributors, bringing in just over $26,000. McDaniel had about $4,700 left in the bank at the end of May.
• Mike Hellon, a former congressional candidate and GOP national committeeman, had raised about $20,000 and loaned his campaign another $25,000. He had just over $40,000 left in the bank at the end of the reporting period.
• Ally Miller, a Tea Party activist, had raised just over $17,000 from individuals and has loaned her campaign about $7,000. She had about $6,600 left in the bank at the end of the reporting period.
The filling of the reports brought a press release from Democrat Nancy Young Wright, the former state lawmaker and Anphi School Board member who will face the winner of the Aug. 28 primary.
Team Wright noted that during the first five months of the year, Hellon had raised his $20,000 from 91 contributors. Williams’ $2,100 had come from just nine contributors. McDaniel had raised about $14,000 from 30 contributors. And Miller raised just under $13,000 from 99 contributors.
Wright, by contrast, had outdone all of them by raising more than $31,000 from 335 contributors without loaning her campaign a nickel.
That had Team Wright boasting that she had more contributors than all of the GOP campaigns put together since the start of the year.
Wright’s finance chair, Brian Clymer, said the finance reports “show a wide range of voters throughout District 1 support Nancy Young Wright’s vision for our community. … She will be a worthy successor to Ann Day.”
You can check out the finance reports for yourself here.
This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 4, 2012.
I’m glad to see that many people recognize Nancy Young Wright’s experience and leadership abilities. I was in Amphi schools while she was on the school board, so my family and I know what a good county supervisor she’ll be.
Nancy Young Wright gets it. She’s the true fiscal conservative in the race because she’s the only one who hasn’t gone into debt to run her campaign. That’s the kind of person we need on the Board of Supervisors.
Nancy Young-Wright is the kind of person we want on the Board of Supervisors. She cares about people and does her homework on the issues. She cleaned up the the Amphi School Board, and was possibly the sanest person in the legislature when she served there. She’s the best person for the Board of Supervisors.
To me it’s interesting how these District 1 candidates are spending their money. Williams, Miller and McDaniel have placed signs in the northeast quadrant of Catalina Highway and Houghton Road, well within Supervisorial District 4, which is represented by Ray Carroll, who has his own Tea Party opponent. Perhaps I don’t understand electoral politics well enough but I can’t think of a good reason to put signs up outside the district one is running in. I suspect the truth of the matter is that Vic Williams has enough of his own money to throw around that he can ignore district lines and that the others are playing follow-the-leader. Dumb and dumber following Wily Williams?
Nancy Young Wright has brought hard work and results to every elective office she has held. I urge folks from all political persuasions to consider electing a person who only cares about doing the best she can for her constituents.
Way to go Nancy – 335 donors is a tremendous amount of support this early in the race.
Since Vic Williams has been in the legislature for several years, and it pays squat, where did he come up with an extra $125,000 to put toward a campaign? I know in my household, that would put a big dent into any retirement money I saved up. I guess he’s a typical Republican for whom money grows on trees.