Former state senator Steve Farley has a commanding lead in campaign contributions from private donors in Tucsonβs mayoral race. But his rival, City Councilwoman Regina Romero, has more money when public matching funds are factored in.
Farley, a Democrat and a small-business owner, had raised $129,594 for his campaign as of March 31, according to reports filed with the Tucson city clerk earlier this week.
βThousands of Tucsonans have come together in the last three months to build a strong campaign to improve our city,β Farley said.
Farleyβs figure is $36,000 more than another rival β local developer Randi Dorman β raised during the first three months of 2019.
Dorman, also a Democrat, had raised $93,324 by the March 31 reporting deadline for campaign contributions.
Both Farley and Dorman have chosen to run traditional campaigns when it comes to fundraising, opting against enrolling in the cityβs Clean Elections program, which provides matching funds to candidates.
Romero, a three-term councilwoman, raised $76,157 during the same three-month period.
While itβs not reflected in the numbers reported this week, Romeroβs staff said her campaign recently received roughly $76,000 in matching contributions from the city.
The cityβs public matching funds program was approved by voters in 1987 for candidates who agree to limit the private donations they accept.
βOur numbers prove that you can run as a Clean Elections candidate and still have a strong, people-powered campaign that doesnβt have to spend unlimited sums of money,β Romero said.
Independent candidate Ed Ackerley reported raising $6,743.
Ackerley, the owner of a local advertising firm, is one of three independent candidates not affiliated with any political party.
Sam Nagy, one of two Republican candidates for mayor, raised $1,196 for his campaign in the first quarter.
Robert Reus, an independent, took in $100 between Jan. 1 and March 31.
The two other remaining candidates for mayor, Democrat Denny Crafton and Republican Frank Konarski, each reported less than $30 in donations.
Craftonβs filing contained a small error in that it did not list his contribution to his campaign.
Joe Arocha, an independent candidate for mayor, did not file any campaign finance reports with the city as of Wednesday night.
Santa Cruz ahead in Ward 1 fundraising
In the four-way Democratic race to replace Romero on the City Council in Ward 1, council aide Lane Santa Cruz has amassed more than her three rivals.
Santa Cruz raised $16,031 by the March 31 deadline.
Candidates Sami Hamed and Miguel Ortega, meanwhile, raised $6,517 and $5,422, respectively.
A fourth candidate, Rob Elias, formally filed paperwork to run in mid-April and did not submit a campaign finance report with the city as of Wednesday night.
Lee is top fundraiser in Ward 4 race
In the three-person race to replace retiring Councilwoman Shirley Scott in Ward 4, Air Force veteran Nikki Lee has raised more money than her rivals, former Tucson Unified School District board member Michael Hicks and Brian Brennan.
Lee, a Democrat, reported $16,031 in donations compared with Hicks, a Republican, who raised $780 in the quarter, according to campaign finance records.
Brennan, a Democrat, had not filed a campaign finance report as of Wednesday night.
Incumbent Cunningham has $15k in Ward 2
Councilman Paul Cunningham, a Democrat who is asking voters for another term in Ward 2, raised $15,615 in donations in the last three months.
His Republican rival, Ewart Williams, had not submitted a campaign finance report as of Wednesday evening.
Candidates still collecting signatures to run
The deadline for candidates to qualify for the ballot is still more than six weeks away.
All must file qualifying signatures with the city clerk by the end of next month to appear on the ballot later this year. The exact number of signatures required depends on which office the candidate is seeking and their political party.
