Incumbent Pima County Attorney Laura Conover and her challenger in the Democratic primary Mike Jette have raised nearly a half-million dollars combined in the race to be the county’s top prosecutor, campaign filings show.
Conover has raised $243,000 for her re-election bid while Jette has raised a total of $240,000 in his effort to unseat her, campaign finance reports filed this week show.
The winner will be decided in the July 30 primary because there is no challenger for the post in the Nov. 5 general election.
Conover raised nearly $140,000 through the months of April, May and June, bringing her total fundraising amount to more than $243,000. The majority of her individual contributions came via the ActBlue PAC, with notable contributions such as $500 from Tucson city councilman Kevin Dahl and $158 from Mayor Regina Romero.
Conover entered April with over $33,000 on-hand and spent over $142,000 in the second quarter. She entered July with over $31,000, her campaign finance report shows.
Jette outraised his opponent this reporting period, bringing in over $154,000 through the months of April, May and June. He spent more than $164,000 and entered July with over $45,000 on-hand. His campaign entered April with over $55,000 saved and has raised nearly $240,000 in total, the filing shows.
Some notable individual contributions Jette received include a $6,650 from Jim Click, $1,000 from Christian Quebedeaux of Quebedeaux Buick GMC, and two donations totaling $1,500 from former Pima County Supervisor Sharon Bronson. Jette received contributions from owners of several local business and local attorneys, his campaign finance report shows.
The first reporting period for campaign finances covered Jan. 1 through March 31, and campaign funds for that period can be found here. The latest reporting period reports were due July 15 and covers money received and spent by local campaigns from April 1 through June 30.
All five Board of Supervisors seats, county attorney, sheriff, assessor, recorder, and three seats on the Pima Community College governing board are on the ballot this year, along with several smaller races.
Board of Supervisors
District 1: Oro Valley, east Marana and the Catalina Foothills
Democratic incumbent Rex Scott has by far raised more than his challengers. In the latest filing period Scott raised more than $17,000 and spent $24,500. He entered April with over $92,000 on-hand and closed out the quarter with over $85,000. Scott reports raising $125,000 in total.
Scott will see a July 30 primary challenge from Democrat Jake Martin, who reported raising $1,060 through the second quarter and spending $328. Martin entered July with over $750, he reports.
Steve Spain, the sole Republican, reported raising over $7,600 in the months of April, May and June, $2,225 of which from personal loans. He spent $2,895 and entered July with $11,705. Spain has raised over $84,000 in total for his bid. He will face the winner of the July 30 primary in the Nov. 5 general election.
District 2: Midtown Tucson to Sahuarita
Democratic incumbent Matt Heinz came into April with over $8,600 saved. As of July 17, Heinz has not submitted an updated campaign finance report.
GOP candidates Beatrice Cory Stephens and John D. Backer will face off in a July 30 Republican primary. Heinz will face the winner in November.
Stephens reported raising $2,316 and spending $2,935 through the second quarter. Through June, her campaign has raised $7,990 in-total — $1,800 from the Freedom Works PAC and $250 from the Southern Arizona Conservative Association — and spent $4,046 in-total. Stephens entered April with over $4,500 and entered July with over $3,900 on-hand.
Backer raised $4,130 through the second quarter and spent about $118. His campaign has raised $6,150 to date — $1,185 from personal contributions — his finance report shows. He entered July with nearly $6,000.
District 3: West Pima County to the U.S.-Mexico Border
Sylvia Lee was appointed to the post in November after Democrat Sharon Bronson resigned, citing injuries from a fall. Lee has said she will not run for the post.
Six candidates are vying for the seat in the county’s largest district, which covers about 7,400 square miles of western Pima County and shares about 130 miles of international border with Mexico.
Democrat Jennifer “Jen” Allen jumped out to a big lead in fundraising through the first quarter of the year and maintained her lead in this period, raising over $56,500 and spending over $41,400. Her campaign reports raising over $141,000 in-total through June. Allen entered July with nearly $68,000 on hand.
Democrat Miguel Cuevas reports raising over $43,000 through the second quarter, $35,000 of which came from personal loans. He spent $42,930 and had $129 entering July.
Democrat Edgar Soto reports raising over $42,000 and spending $37,773. He entered July about $5,500 on-hand.
Democrat April Hiosik Ignacio reported raising over $29,830 and spending $22,822 through the second quarter of this year, . Ignacio did not submit a campaign finance report for the first quarter saying she had not been fundraising yet, she told a local news outlet in April. Her campaign reports entering July with more than $7,200.
Janet “JL” Wittenbraker, the sole Republican running for the seat, raised $10,000 through the second quarter, $2,228 of which came via personal loans. Wittenbraker spent over $11,000 in the second quarter and entered July with $792, she reports.
Independent Iman-Utopia Layjou Bah did not file finance reports for the first quarter of the year, county records show. The candidate reports raising no money through the second quarter but spent $319.
District 4: Eastern Pima County, portions of Tucson and Vail
Republican incumbent Steve Christy entered April with over $32,000 on hand. He reports raising $3,170 and spending $1,747. Christy entered July with over $34,000. Christy has raised about $97,500 in total for his re-election bid.
Democrat Vanessa Bechtol, the sole challenger for the seat, raised $43,682 and spent $5,126 through the second quarter. Bechtol entered July with over $45,000, she reports.
District 5: Downtown, west and southwest sides
Democratic incumbent Adelita Grijalva, the board chair, reported raising $6,337 and spending $171 through the second quarter. She entered July with more than $15,000.
Independent Val Romero, Grijalva’s sole challenger, reports raising over $2,000 and spending $543 through June, after not reporting any campaign finances to the county through the first quarter. Romero entered July with nearly $1,500.
Sheriff
Incumbent Chris Nanos faces a challenge in the Democratic primary from Sanford “Sandy” Rosenthal. Republican candidates Bill Phillips, Heather Lappin and Terry Frederick are running in the GOP primary.
Nanos reports raising $18,625 through June — $9,000 in personal loans — and spending $18,370. He entered July with $7,011. Rosenthal reports raising $10,730 for the filing period and spending $22,590. He entered July with about $400, Rosenthal reported.
Phillips reports over $18,800 in contributions through the second quarter — $2,500 from local businesses and $207 via a personal loan — and spent over $20,000. He reports entering July with $893.
Lappin reported having over $20,000 at the start of April, raising $17,740 and spending nearly $35,000 through the second quarter. She entered July with $3,674.
Frederick reported raising $5,380 and spending $7,947 through the second quarter. He entered July with $2,567 in debt.
Assessor
Democratic incumbent Suzanne Droubie is not being challenged. She reports raising $200 and spending $147. Droubie entered July with $1,274 on-hand.
Recorder
Democratic incumbent Gabriella Cázares-Kelly faces a challenge from Dominic Campbell-Gonzalez, a Republican.
Cázares-Kelly entered April with $5,479 left over from the first quarter. She raised $15,684 and spent $8,147 through the second quarter. She entered July with $13,016.
Campbell-Gonzalez has not filed a report for either quarter.
Superintendent of schools
Incumbent Dustin Williams, a Democrat, is unopposed. He had $5,427 entering April but did not raise or spend any funds through June, his report says.
Treasurer
Brian Johnson and Sami Yrigolla Hamed will face off in the Democratic primary.
Johnson raised $2,770 in the second quarter — $2,000 of which from personal loans — and spent $2,579, according to his report. Hamed reported raising $4,000 with no spending.
The winner will face Republican Chris Ackerley, who was appointed to the post in mid-April. Ackerly reports entering April with $4,274. He raised $3,270 and spent $1,489 through June. Ackerley started July with $6,054.
