Balukoff campaign spending exceeded $4 million

Kevin Richert | 11/21/2014

The final numbers are in, and Democratic candidate A.J. Balukoff spent more than $4 million in his unsuccessful bid to unseat Gov. Butch Otter.

Balukoff campaign — Democratic gubernatorial candidate A.J. Balukoff.

And nearly $3.6 million came from Balukoff’s own pocket.

The accountant, businessman and Boise School Board member filed his final campaign finance report on Nov. 14 — 10 days after receiving 39 percent of the vote statewide.

The key numbers from the Democratic candidate’s report:

The Balukoff campaign spent $4,074,080.75 during the elution year. That includes $3,564,455 of Balukoff’s own money.
Balukoff raised $878,899.90 from Oct. 20 through Nov. 14, including $842,000 from Balukoff himself.

Statewide candidates are required to file a final campaign finance report within 30 days of the general election — or Dec. 4. Balukoff is the first statewide candidate to file this paperwork.

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. He can be reached at [email protected]