Incumbents on the Tucson City Council are spending more money than challengers in the Aug. 1 Democratic primary, but outside groups are putting more money into the election than most candidates.
In District 1, Santa Cruz City Councilman Lane (who, like other city council members, is a Democrat) spent more than $51,000 by the end of last month, while primary challenger Miguel Ortega spent less than $9,000, people familiar with the matter said. new financial report Covers the incumbent’s activities and the Ortega faction until June 30th.
In the only other contested race, 2nd District Councilman Paul Cunningham Spent over $32,000 While campaigning until June 30, his main challenger, real estate agent Lisa Nutt, said: Spend less than $11,000.
However, in both races External groups spend additional funds Support some candidates. In the case of District 2, the Arizona Multifamily Association and the National Association of Realtors have spent nearly $82,000 to back Mr. Nutt, making the amount a candidate spends seem dwarfed.
Under the city’s election ordinance, a report on campaign fundraising and spending through June was due to be submitted on Monday. Ortega and First District Republican nominee Victoria Lem had not submitted their report by the end of Tuesday. Ortega’s campaign provided the Sentinel with a summary of its campaign spending.
City council candidates can receive public funds for their campaigns if they agree to limit their spending. If you are eligible to collect at least 200 donations of at least $10 from city residents, your fundraising will match the City’s funding. This year, city council candidates participating in the program can spend up to $167,950 on campaigns and up to $125,963 on primaries.
District 1 reported that the city of Santa Cruz had raised a total of $58,951, including $44,679 from April 30 to June 30.
The City of Santa Cruz is eligible for Matching Funds, and received $55,792 from the City, leaving $111,212 available for the campaign.
Santa Cruz spent $51,146 on primary campaigns.
The report was due by the evening of Monday, July 17, but Ortega was late in filing the report, failing to do so by the close of business on Tuesday. Election campaign manager Billy Peard said he expects to run into technical issues and plans to submit by Wednesday.
Peard told the Tucson Sentinel that the report showed Ortega had raised $16,690, spent $8,995, and had $7,695 left in the bank.
District 1 challengers are not participating in the matching fund program because “they don’t have to be in the program to run clean,” Ortega said. “And we want public money to be used for the common good, not campaign.”
The Independent Commission gets funding from outside groups to back both Democratic campaigns on the Westside.
Migente, a non-profit organization involved in organizing and supporting illegal immigrants and other marginalized people of color, spent $19,672 on mail representing Santa Cruz, while the Arizona Working Families Party spent $16,624 on mail praising Santa Cruz and criticizing Ortega for “silly talk” about Santa Cruz.
Meanwhile, the Arizona Prosperity Initiative, a nonprofit that has yet to file campaign papers with the city, sent targeted emails to Santa Cruz over issues related to parks, crime and spending. The Arizona Prosperity Initiative’s legal representative is Phoenix attorney Tim La Sota, who represented the political campaigns of Donald Trump and unsuccessful Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
La Sota did not respond to a request for comment from Sentinels.
The winner of the District 1 primary will face Republican Victoria Lem in the November 7 general election. Lem didn’t turn in her campaign finance report on time because of her family’s emergency, she told The Sentinel.
In the northeastern District 2, Cunningham, who faces a Democratic challenger for the first time since taking office in 2010, had raised $40,550 for his campaign. He spent his $32,098, leaving his $8,451 in the bank. Cunningham is eligible for the Matching Fund program, but he has not received any public funding as of June 30.
By comparison, Nutt, who is new to running for public office, had raised just $15,520. Nutt has found support in the real estate and homebuilding community with numerous donations from people in the real estate industry, including his $1,000 from the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association PAC and his $1,000 from the Arizona Realtors PAC.
Nutt had spent $10,800, including $2,284, on Chicago’s Dover Strategy Group for political support and social media strategy. At the end of her reporting period, her assets were $4,719.
Mr. Nutt may have outspent Mr. Cunningham, but he has also outspent the Independent Commission behind Mr. Nutt’s campaign.
The Arizona City Multifamily Association reported spending $46,681 on mailers, digital ads and text messages through July 14. The National Association of Realtors reported on June 30 that it spent $35,249 on mail carriers.
The winner of the District 2 primary will face Republican Ernie Shack. Reported to have raised $1,459and liberal M. Pendleton Spicer Reported to have collected $185.
Incumbent Regina Romero led the dollar dash in the mayoral race, raising $96,367 in campaign funds. She spent her $51,743 and the rest was her $44,624. Romero participates in a matching fund program, but she had not yet requested public funding.
Romero has no major opponents on the ballot (additional candidate Francis Saitta has not filed a campaign finance report but is not fundraising), but he faces three challengers in the November general election.
Independent Ed Ackerley Reported a total of $17,894. As of June 30, there was $5,551 left.
Republican Janet “JL” Wittenbreaker said: Collected $6,796 for her campaign. She did not report her spending and she said she had not yet repaid various campaign expenses, which she reported as loans on her campaign finance return. She told Sentinel that her report may need to be amended.
Libertarian Arthur Kershen collected zero dollars for his campaign.
In South East Side District 4, Democratic incumbent Nikki Lee, also without a primary candidate, Collected a total of $19,683 It was $4,535 at the end of the reporting period.
She had not yet received the matching funds.
Her general election opponent, Republican Ross Kaplowich, said: Collected $2,804 He had $1,175 left in his campaign fund account.
Each faction must submit a separate report by Saturday detailing its fundraising and spending from July 1 through July 15.
Last-minute spending before the August 1 primary will not be required to be disclosed until August 11 for candidates who have accepted public matching funds, and until October 16 for candidates who have not received funding.
Early ballots for the primary were sent to voters in Tucson on July 5. City officials advise July 26 is the last day to return ballots for the primary election. Voters may also cast their ballots in person at the Tucson Clerk’s Election Center at 800 E. 12th St. from now through August 1.
Vote centers will open in each ward in the city on Election Day, allowing voters to vote in person. Voters may submit their completed ballots to the Pima County Registrar’s office through August 1. The Registrar has offices at 240 N. Stone Ave. downtown, 6550 S. Country Club Rd. on the South Side, and 6920 E. Broadway.
