Three days after campaign finance reports revealed A.J. Balukoff has put $1.6 million of his own money into his campaign, Republicans accused Balukoff of trying “to buy his way into the governor’s office.”
“With only $200,000 of his campaign funds being raised from pockets other than his own, the Democrat’s bid does not have serious support from a broad base of Idahoans,” the Idaho GOP said in a news release issued Monday.
Balukoff’s campaign finance report, covering May 31 through Sept. 30, revealed that the Democratic challenger raised and spent more than $1.8 million during the summer reporting period. GOP Gov. Butch Otter, meanwhile, raised a little more than $600,000 during the same period, spending slightly more than $475,000. (For more details on the sunshine reports, here’s a link to my blog from Friday.)
Here is the GOP news release, in full:
“Campaign finance disclosure reports filed this week reveal that Democrat candidate Balukoff received a total of $1.8 million in contributions as of Sept. 30. However, given that he has dumped $1.6 million from his own bank account, it would appear that AJ is attempting to buy his way into the governor’s office.
“With only $200,000 of his campaign funds being raised from pockets other than his own, the Democrat’s bid does not have serious support from a broad base of Idahoans.
“The candidate is attempting to make up for his shortcoming in public support by taking advantage of a campaign finance rule that allows candidates to give unlimited amounts of money to their own campaign.
“The Democrat’s attempt to buy the election is seemingly contradictory as he and his party both favor restrictions on campaign contributions, especially from the wealthy, but apparently not when it comes to their candidates and campaigns.
“Combine lack of financial support outside himself with recent polling showing Governor Otter leading by 24-points, it appears Idahoans are not buying AJ’s hollow-tax and spend agenda, and they shouldn’t allow him to buy his way into the Governor’s office.
“The Idaho Republican Party urges Republican and unaffiliated voters to support our nominees. Be sure to vote early, by absentee, or at your neighborhood polling station on Nov. 4.”
