Horne drops $200K, CCEC votes 4-0 to appeal

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne today confirmed a long circulating rumor that he will show more than $200,000 in campaign contributions when he files his campaign finance report next week. He told our reporter that his report, which covers all of 2009, will show about $205,000 in contributions. His likely GOP primary opponent in the AG race, Andrew Thomas, is expected to run under Clean Elections. If he does, Thomas will be limited to $183,311. “If I have $200,000 before it starts, you can imagine (total fundraising) is going to be a heck of a lot more than he’s going to have,” said Horne. Most of his money has come not from the legal community, but from business interests, he said, adding business owners don’t want to see Thomas bring the “chaos” to state government that he has clearly brought to county government.

Also, the Citizens Clean Elections Commission voted 4-0 in favor of filing an appeal of last night’s federal court decision banning matching funds. The decision was reached during a teleconference Thursday afternoon.

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