Congressional District 2 candidate Matt Heinz is better known for being an emergency room doctor than a gambler.
Heinz, who regularly discusses his student loan debt, went all-in last month and loaned his campaign $250,000, his latest Federal Election Commission report shows.
Heinz said Monday he wanted to focus on participating in various community events, including walking door to door in the coming months, rather than spending all of his campaign time on fundraising efforts.
A financial disclosure report filed by Heinz last October lists a rental home as a secondary passive source of income. Tucson Paradise LLC, the report indicates, generated between $50,000 and $100,000 in income in 2016. Additionally, Heinz worked more hours at Tucson Medical Center with his income increasing from $155,117 in 2016 to $258,360 in 2017.
The loan to his campaign, however, represents the bulk of the $306,360 the Heinz campaign raised in his third run for Congress.
The total, though, isn’t the largest haul in the first quarter reports filed by the six Democrats and two Republicans running for CD2 who filed reports with the FEC this month.
That distinction goes to former U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, who reported $390,971 in donations from individuals and another $117,667 from political action committees.
The Democrat, who served three terms in the House, announced last summer she would challenge U.S. Rep. Martha McSally for her seat in CD2, telling Democrats that Southern Arizona deserved better than McSally.
Earlier this year, however, McSally announced she would run for Jeff Flake’s seat in the Senate, creating an open seat in CD2.
Setting aside the loan to his campaign, Heinz came in third among the Democrats running in CD2 in terms of individual donations.
Political newcomer Mary Matiella, a former assistant secretary of the Army, reported $56,122 in donations from individuals between January and March.
Three other candidates — small-business owner Billy Kovacs, former state Rep. Bruce Wheeler and Cochise County rancher Barbara Sherry, each raised less than $7,200 in the first quarter of 2018.
A newcomer to the race — Democrat Yahya Yuksel — did not have to file a report, as he entered the race last month.
At the moment, only Kirkpatrick and Heinz have amassed a six-figure campaign war chests ahead of the now seven-person Democratic primary in August. Kirkpatrick had $821,791 cash on hand at the end of March, while Heinz had $429,162.
For Republicans, Lea Márquez Peterson, CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber, has a huge financial lead over her GOP rivals in the August primary.
In her first congressional race, Márquez Peterson took in $283,762 in donations between January and March, filings with the Federal Election Commission show. The figure includes $25,500 in contributions from various political groups.
The only other Republican to file a report was contractor Brandon Martin, who raised $7,145 over the last three months.
Several other announced GOP candidates in the Congressional District 2 race, including Danny Morales, Casey Welch and Marilyn Wiles, were not required to file campaign finance reports.
CD2, which covers a large portion of Pima County and Cochise County, is expected to be one of the hottest competitive House races in the country during this year’s midterm elections.
With an open seat in play as McSally runs for Senate, national groups are expected to pour millions of dollars into the race.
The Cook Political Report, a well-respected, nonpartisan newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns, lists CD2 as “leans Democratic,” giving Democrats a slight advantage.
O’Halleran ahead
in CD1
In the sprawling Congressional District 1, incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran has raised more from individuals than his three Republican rivals combined. Recent reports show the former state lawmaker raised $258,990 over the last three months, with $97,500 coming from political action committees.
With no formal Democrat challenger, O’Halleran spent $110,181 on campaign activities in the last three months. The district includes part of northern Pima County.
On the Republican side, state Sen. Steve Smith led in terms of fundraising, taking $101,993 in individual donations and $5,000 from a political action committee.
Republican Tiffany Shedd, a farmer, lawyer and business owner, raised $64,841 during the same time and loaned her campaign $50,000.
Kevin Cavanaugh, a former deputy chief in the Pinal County Sheriff’s Office, reporting taking in $1,119 during the first quarter of 2018.
Arellano raises
nearly $20k in CD3
Political newcomer Sergio Arellano, who jumped into the Congressional District 3 race last year as a Republican, reported raising $19,954 in the last three months.
A former Army veteran who has been active in GOP politics, Arellano will attempt to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva in November.
Grijalva’s re-election campaign committee, A Whole Lot of People for Grijalva, reported $71,710 in donations for the most recent election cycle.
The Tucson Democrat had $117,642 in his campaign coffers at the end of March.
