IE groups spend more freely sans matching funds

Rep. Adam Driggs, who is in a three-way Senate race for the Republican Party’s nomination in Legislative District 11, has received a huge boost from independent groups.

Outside groups have so far poured in $57,000 to support Drigg’s campaign. More than $29,000 came from the Arizona Business Coalition, which the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry formed last May.

The two other Republican candidates running for the Senate in District 11, Rich Davis and Andrew Smigielski, have not benefitted from independent spending.

Ten candidates for the Legislature each have benefitted from independent groups that have spent at least $10,000 on their behalf. Many of them are in hotly contested primaries, and all but one of them are Republicans.

Democrat Sylvia Laughter, who is running in a four-way race for the Senate in District 2, has benefitted from independent spending of more than $11,000. But she also has been affected by independent expenditures on behalf of her opponents.

Citizens for Coconino County, which is funded by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Arizona and the union UFCW Local 99, has spent more than $7,000 on mailers against Laughter, a former House member.

Candidates who benefit from independent expenditure have an added advantage this year; their opponents, assuming they’re running as Clean Elections candidates, won’t receive any matching funds. 
 
In previous elections, a Clean Elections candidate received a dollar-for-dollar match if a privately funded candidate spent more than the initial disbursement given to the Clean Elections candidate. That rule also applied if an independent group spent money opposing the publicly funded candidate or supporting his or her opponent.

But the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the distribution of matching funds in June.

Here’s a breakdown of legislative candidates who benefitted from spending of $10,000 or more from independent groups:

Adam Driggs, Senate candidate, LD11 – $57,001
David Braswell, Senate candidate, LD6 – $24,748
Amanda Reeve, House candidate, LD6 – $19,049
Kristen Burroughs, House candidate, LD7 – $15,510
Terri Proud, House candidate, LD26 – $13,687
Karen Fann, House candidate, LD1 – $13,061
Sylvia Laughter, Senate candidate, LD2 – $11,802
William Wade Mclean, House candidate, LD26 – $11,642
John Nelson, Senate candidate, LD12 – $10,139
Kirk Adams, House candidate, LD19 – $9,886