The Idaho Education Association’s political arm is a major donor to a Boise-based group supporting Democratic legislative candidates.
Between May 28 and Sept. 30, the Political Action Committee for Education contributed $32,000 to Responsible Leadership for Idaho, according to Responsible Leadership’s most recent campaign finance report.
Kimberlee Kruesi of the Associated Press first wrote Wednesday about Responsible Leadership’s fundraising.
All told, the group raised nearly $159,000 during the most recent reporting period and spent more than $83,000.
The money was siphoned into 10 Democratic campaigns in swing districts across the state. Recipients included Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett, Ketchum; House Minority Leader John Rusche, Lewiston; Sen. Dan Schmidt, Moscow; and Rep. Paulette Jordan, Plummer. The group also supported six Democratic House candidates: Steve Berch and Jake Ellis of Boise; Bob Blakey of Lewiston; Laurene Sorensen of Moscow; Kathleen Eder of Hailey; and Sally Toone of Gooding.
The group put its backing into several of Idaho’s priciest legislative races. (Click here for our breakdown of Idaho’s 10 priciest campaigns.)
PACE’s $32,000 donations account for almost all of the group’s activity in the most recent reporting cycle. PACE made only one direct contribution to a candidate, donating $1,000 to Berch.
