TABLE: 2013 Finance Reports For Statewide Candidates (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

Arizona's Politics is tracking the campaign finance reports being filed by candidates for statewide office in Arizona. The deadline for the 13-month period ended December 31, 2013 was Friday (Jan. 31). In addition to more in-depth articles (w/ links either to the article or to the report, in the right-most column of the table), here is a table summarizing the key numbers. We will keep this updated as the new reports come in - depending on work and family commitments, of course.

(click on table to enlarge)

(updated as of 2/03/14, 4:00pm)

Gubernatorial candidates who have either not yet filed their year-end reports or they have not yet appeared on the Secretary of State's website are:  Ronald Martin Cavanaugh  (Dem), Barry Hess (Libertarian), Alice Lukasik (Repub), and Scott Smith (Repub). AG candidate Mark Brnovi

Arizona candidates for Congress also are filing their year-end reports with the Federal Election Commission. Arizona's Politics has prepared a separate chart for those.

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CD9: Incumbent Sinema Has More Than $1M Parked In Bank

(Correction: The Vernon Parker report for his 2014 campaign has not been filed; the zero number originally reported was for the report filed yesterday for his identically-named 2012 campaign committee.  Parker's 2014 campaign has $80,449 cash on hand as of September 30, 2013.)

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9) has topped $1,000,000 in her campaign bank account, ready for a stiff Republican challenge in November.

The other announced Republican challengers have the rest of today to get their reports filed (although they might be filed and not yet up on the FEC's website).  Wendy Rogers - who had $271,628 in the bank on September 30 - filed an amended 3rd quarter report last night, but has not yet posted the year-end report.  Andrew Walter had a $150,00 war chest on September 30.  And, the 2012 GOP nominee, Vernon Parker, had $80,449 cash on hand going into October.

Sinema collected $339,303 in contributions in the last quarter of 2013 - bringing her total to nearly $1.4Million.   In the last quarter, $131K was from political action committees and $208K from individuals.  Her cash on hand is $1,021, 589.  (Arizona's Politics will list candidates PAC contributions in a later article.)

Although Sinema has not yet been targeted with the advertising barrage by Republican-philic groups that her fellow Arizona Democrats in swing districts are experiencing, the first-term Representative and Democrats are preparing for another free-spending battle in the Phoenix-area district.

Rodd McLeod, a Sinema campaign spokesman, attributes the fundraising numbers to her focus on grassroots here in Arizona, telling Arizona's Politics "Kyrsten has worked hard during her first year in Congress to stay in close touch with the grassroots in Arizona, holding public meetings with constituents and supporters every month. One result of her Arizona-focused approach has been strong fundraising."  He then took a swipe at the GOP candidates, referencing tax cuts for the wealthy and privatizing Social Security.

  Rep. Kyrsten Sinema 2013 yearend rept

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Arizona House Speaker Andy Tobin's Fundraising Clicks, Leverages Present Job In Collecting $235K For Congressional Campaign (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

Arizona Speaker of the House Andy Tobin is off to a rousing start raising funds for his Congressional campaign, tapping into a lot of the same lobbyists and PACs that contributed to his state legislative campaign earlier in the year (2013).  


Tobin is involved in a 4-way Republican primary battle for Congressional District 1, currently represented by Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick.  Tobin gathered in $232,520 in contributions and had more than $191,000 of it in the bank on December 31, 2013.

Arizona's Politics has conducted an extensive comparison of Tobin's final state legislative campaign finance report - filed with the Arizona Secretary of State's office on October 31, 2013 - with his first Congressional campaign finance report (posted at the bottom of this article).  The number of lobbyists who contributed to both his legislative campaign in January 2013 (just before the legislative session began) and to his Congressional campaign in the last three months of 2013 is impressive.

It should be noted that Tobin is continuing to serve as Speaker of the House during the legislative session that began this month, and that lobbyists are not permitted to make campaign contributions to Tobin during the session.  (While the legislature that drafted that statute likely did not envision this situation, the language does appear to prohibit contributions to Tobin's Congressional campaign.)

While the lobbyists' contributions were almost entirely in the $250-500 range, the number added up to approximately $20,000.  Even so, that paled in comparison to the $32,000 collected from longtime southern Arizona auto dealer Jim Click, his family members and employees.  Click is serving as Tobin's Finance Committee chairman

One of Tobin's other large source of contributions was Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona.  With many contributions from executives, employees and BC/BS-related PACs, Tobin received more than $10,000 from the health insurer.  Tobin lists BC/BS as a primary source of his income on his most recent financial disclosure statement.

Further review of the report indicates that slightly more than $11,000 of the contributions came from small givers.  That would be under 5% of the total contributions.

Tobin was "thrilled" with the beginning of his Congressioal campaign.  Under the subject line "Wow!", Tobin said, “I am so grateful to all our supporters for helping us with this early success.  I know it’s a big deal to open your wallet and donate your hard-earned money. I appreciate the graciousness of those who have opened their homes to host fundraising events

  Tobin 2013 Yearend Rept

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TABLE: Arizona Congressional Candidates' 4Q2013 FEC Reports, Summarized (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

Arizona's Politics is tracking the campaign finance reports being filed by Arizona's Congressional candidates (and Arizona-based PACs).  The deadline for 4th Quarer 2013 (or, "Year-End) reports is January 31.  In addition to the more in-depth articles (w/ links in the right-most column of the table), here is a table summarizing the key numbers.  We will keep this updated as the new reports come in - depending on work and family commitments, of course.

(click on table to enlarge)

(updated as of 2/2/14, 11:00a.m.)

Here's a link to our article about all of the candidates who have filed, along with links to their websites and other FEC filings.

Candidates for state offices also are filing their year-end reports with the Arizona Secretary of State's office.  Arizona's Politics will prepare a separate chart for those.

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Arizona Congressional Delegation Splits On Today's $956B Farm Bill Passage; Funds PILT Payments To Arizona's Rural Counties

All 4 of Arizona's Republican Representatives and the two "safe" Democrats voted against the $956 Billion Farm Bill package today, though it passed by a vote of 251-166.  The three Democrats in swing districts voted "aye", with Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-CD1) calling it "a good day for rural Arizona".

A solid majority of the House's GOP members voted in favor of it (162-63) - Arizona's four Republican Congressmen (Franks, Gosar, Salmon, Schweikert) bucked that trend.

Congressional Democrats were more mixed, with 89 joining with the GOP majority to pass the bill, and 103 saying no.  Reps. Grijalva and Pastor voted "nay", while Reps. Barber, Kirkpatrick and Sinema said yes.

According to The Hill, Republican no votes were upset with the overall cost and how the Republican leadership rushed it through; none of Arizona's GOP Reps have Tweeted about the bill this morning.  The Hill's article also says that Democratic ire focused on the cuts to food stamps;  $8 Billion was cut, more than the Senate version of the bill and less than the original House proposal.

Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-CD1) was the first Arizona member to send out reaction to this morning's vote, and she noted her earlier speeches in which she "called on both parties to work together and craft a bipartisan Farm Bill we can all support. That’s what happened today – and it’s good day for the farmers, families and local economies across District One and our nation.”  (Kirkpatrick's complete statement is below the jump.)

She was particularly pleased that the bill reauthorized and funded PILT (payments in lieu of taxes) obligations.  PILT payments are from the federal government to local governments in areas where much of the land is owned by the federal government - and is thus, not available for the property tax base;  only three other states receive more in PILT payments than Arizona.

Kirkpatrick had introduced a plan to make PILT reauthorization permanent.  Her spokesperson Jennifer Johnson tells Arizona's Politics that the Congresswoman "will continue to push her legislation to make PILT reauthorization permanent and give rural counties more stability and less financial uncertainty as they budget and plan."

Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-CD9) also released a statement, noting that the final bill contains an amendment that she co-introduced to protect against "foreign agribusinesses that fraudulently use American trademarks to mislabel their produce."  (Sinema's complete statement is below the jump.)

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO? Coalition Tried To Recall Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio In 2013, Demonstrating To Urge Him To Stay Put In 2014

Citizens for a Better Arizona - the coalition that unsuccessfully attempted to recall Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio in 2013 - is holding a "caucus" tomorrow outside MCSO headquarters tomorrow to urge the Sheriff to "Stay Put."

"My, how things have changed," is Arpaio's response to the announcement of tomorrow's demonstration.

Last week, Arpaio announced that his 2016 re-election campaign had raised $3.5 Million during the 13-month period ending December 31.  Campaign manager Chad Willems told Arizona's Politics that approximately $2M of that total was raised during the recall effort (which had apparently collected somewhere between 200,000 and the 335,000 valid signatures they needed to force a recall election).

In the news release, Arpaio was quoted as noting that supporters urge him to run for Governor, and saying that he would (again) "give it serious consideration".

That became the hook for CBA to again express its displeasure with the Sheriff - by calling him "out of control" and urging him to "stay put... under the watchful eye of his $28 million babysitter - Monitor Warshaw".  (The full text of their Facebook announcement is below the jump.)

Arpaio publicized it on his Twitter feed this afternoon, enjoying the turnabout:  "Protestors who once called for my recall are coming tomorrow to new my HQ at 11am to ask me to stay Sheriff! My, how things have changed!"

Raising $2M off of the recall effort that also cost CBA supporters a large sum of money has a way of allowing Arpaio to laugh about a demonstration trying to focus attention on the fact that "Maricopa County finally got a monitor to babysit (him)."

THE KNOWN KNOWNS: Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Mitch McConnell, Jim Inhofe and Liz Cheney. Who Are... (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

Jeopardy-style:  Arizona Rep. Trent Franks, Sens. Mitch McConnell and James Inhofe, and Liz Cheney.  Alex, who are the only four candidates* to whom former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has contributed to - and, maxed out to - in this election style?

Rep. Trent Franks (R-CD8) has no Republican or Democratic challengers in his campaign for a 7th term in Congress, and has not been doing very much fundraising.  From the limited number of contributors on his 4th quarter campaign finance report, one name jumps out - that of the well-known former Defense Secretary.

Rumsfeld had not contributed to the West Valley Congressman since 2008, but on December 4, 2013, he made a maximum $5,200 contribution (1/2 for the primary campaign, 1/2 for the general election campaign).

Franks raised most (57%)of his $49,415 in 4th quarter contributions from PAC's (political action committees), and now has $34,345 in the campaign bank acount.  This is extremely low compared to other incumbent Representatives, but Franks has no announced challengers for either the primary or general elections.

* The known knowns, reported thus far.  Mr. Rumsfeld might have made other, similar contributions in 4Q2013 that have not yet been reported or do not show up in the CRP database.  The contributions to McConnell and Cheney were made in 3Q2013.


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Progressive Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Grijalva Is Now Ready For Hillary

Arizona Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-CD3) is ready to endorse a Hillary Clinton campaign for President in 2016, according to The Hill newspaper.  In 2008, Grijalva was an early endorser of Barack Obama, over Clinton - in what turned out to be a months-long, contentious primary battle.

Grijalva's indication to The Hill that he would be "Ready for Hillary" may carry a bit more weight than the other 55 Senators and Representatives on the endorsed-or-ready-to-endorse list because he is one of the co-chairs of the House's Progressive Caucus.  There have been persistent grumblings from the left wing of the Democratic party that Clinton is too centrist.  (Rep. Keith Ellison - the other co-chair - is not on the list.)

In 2007, Grijalva had endorsed former Sen. John Edwards' presidential candidacy, but switched to Obama in late January 2008.  At that time, he did not say anything negative about Clinton.


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