Lots of outside cash helping candidates in Arizona races

PHOENIX — Cash from outside groups is rivaling, and in some cases exceeding, what candidates for statewide office are spending on their own election campaigns.

And that doesn’t count what state law allows to be kept hidden.

The biggest source of outside cash in statewide races is the Republican Governors Association, which already set aside nearly $9.6 million to ensure that Gov. Doug Ducey gets elected to another four-year term. Most of that is for commercials blasting Democrat David Garcia.

Ducey, with the benefits of incumbency, is no slouch when it comes to raising money himself, collecting $6 million for his own campaign. That doesn’t count another $5.1 million raised in Ducey’s name by another committee, which was transferred to the Arizona Republican Party.

That’s the big black hole in the publicly filed campaign finance reports. Arizona law allows political parties to spend as they wish, without identifying who their mailers and ads support or target.

The Arizona Republican Party reports spending more than $6 million, with no disclosure of which candidates are beneficiaries. There are commercials running on behalf of Ducey and Attorney General Mark Brnovich where the fine print discloses they were paid for by the party.

Democrats show more than $9.2 million in expenditures in their campaign reports.

Some is going to help elect Katie Hobbs as secretary of state; reports filed with the Federal Communications Commission show about $2.2 million in ad buys.

The party has also gotten $750,000 from the Democratic Attorneys General Association, presumably to help January Contreras defeat Brnovich.

What is required to be publicly disclosed shows that in the governor’s race, Garcia is getting no support from the Democratic Governors Association. That’s not to say, however, that Garcia is getting no outside assistance.

Planned Parenthood Votes has spent more than $564,000 to help Garcia’s campaign. Progress Now Arizona has put in another $323,000 in both pro-Garcia and anti-Ducey efforts.

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But Garcia’s biggest source of outside support comes from NextGen Climate Action, a political action committee formed by California billionaire Tom Steyer. Steyer’s PAC has put in nearly $790,000 to help Garcia.

Steyer also is involved, at least indirectly, in trying to help Contreras oust Brnovich: The Clean Energy for a Healthy Arizona Committee, supporting Prop. 127, has reported spending more than $4.2 million on her behalf.

Contreras reported $864,000 in donations to her campaign.

Brnovich himself has raised more than $1 million. But he also is getting outside help from the Republican Attorneys General Association which, under the banner of Arizona For Freedom, has spent more than $1.7 million primarily in attack ads against Contreras.

There’s also a lot of outside cash going into the race for the two seats up for election on the Arizona Corporation Commission.

Democrats Kiana Sears and Sandra Kennedy each have received about $271,000 of public funds in exchange for not taking private donations. That doesn’t keep others from spending on their behalf. Chispa Arizona, an arm of the League of Conservation Voters, has put more than $3.7 million into getting Sears and Kennedy elected. The League does not disclose donors.

Incumbent Commissioner Justin Olson, a Republican, has reported $144,000 in campaign expenditures, including what he spent on the primary.

Rodney Glassman, the other Republican in the race, listed his expenses at more than $521,000, including $200,000 of his own money.

But Glassman’s self-spending pales in comparison with that of Republican Steve Gaynor, who wants to be secretary of state. Gaynor, who snagged the GOP nomination by defeating incumbent Michele Reagan in the primary, has put in $2.35 million of his own cash, which totals about 90 percent of all his donations.

On the Democrats’ side, Hobbs has collected more than $925,000 but is getting help from the state party, which is buying ads for her.

In the race for state treasurer, Republican Kimberly Yee reported donations of $528,000, including $200,000 of family money. Democrat Mark Manoil is running with $270,000 in public financing.