Mitchell leads CD-5 field in fundraising with $1.3M

U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (file photo)

David Schweikert and Jim Ward led the Republican field in fundraising in the 5th Congressional District, but incumbent Democratic Rep. Harry Mitchell still eclipsed all challengers.

The quarterly reports submitted to the Federal Elections Commission on July 15 showed Schweikert, who lost a bid to unseat Mitchell in 2008, with the money lead in the crowded Republican field. Schweikert, the former Maricopa County treasurer, raised $125,000 from April to June, and has about $434,000 in cash on hand.

Schweikert said most of his campaigns contributions were from small-dollar donors who gave money online. He said his campaign got about 1,000 new donors in the last quarter.

“I think we spent about 80 grand last quarter, but the majority of that money went to voter contact,” he said. “The big story … is who’s been spending all their cash.”

Ward, a businessman who moved to Arizona in 2008, raised nearly $119,000 in the last quarter, bringing his total for the election cycle to $513,000. Ward’s FEC report showed about $283,000 in cash on hand.

Ward may not have as much money as Schweikert, but he said he has been a more successful fundraiser, noting that Schweikert loaned his campaign $300,000. Ward has loaned his campaign $126,000, including $20,000 in the last quarter.

“He’s loaned his campaign a lot of money. I don’t know where that comes from,” Ward said of Schweikert. “My contributions are pretty much all from individuals, and I have more individual contributions than all the other candidates combined.”

Mitchell, one of the GOP’s prime targets in the 2010 election cycle, brought in about $335,000 last quarter, including $121,000 from political action committees. The two-term Democrat has raised about $1.3 million throughout the election cycle, with about $1.1 million in cash on hand.

The rest of the GOP field didn’t fare as well as Schweikert and Mitchell. Former Scottsdale City Councilwoman Susan Bitter Smith raised about $87,000 and has about $111,000 in cash on hand, while Dr. Chris Salvino pulled in only $26,000. Salvino, who has spent about $107,000, has only $28,000 in cash on hand. Candidate Mark Spinks reported only $9,500 in contributions.

Ward was dismissive of Mitchell’s fundraising, saying it’s only natural for an incumbent in his position to rake in PAC money and union contributions.

“At the end of the day we don’t need to outspend Harry Mitchell. We’re going to outsmart him. And the constitutency of the 5th Congressional District is going to speak and it’s going to speak out loud, and they’re going to retire Congressman Mitchell,” Ward said.

A Mitchell campaign spokesman could not be reached for comment.