Gov. Brad Little has raised close to $500,000 for his still-unannounced re-election campaign.
Little has far outraised all of his presumptive rivals in the May 2022 Republican primary, including his most vocal adversary, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, according to state campaign finance reports.
Idaho Education News reviewed “48-hour reports” filed by the candidates for governor, lieutenant governor and state schools superintendent. Candidates need not report all donations at this time. However, they must report all donations of $1,000 or more within 48 hours.
So the 48-hour reports don’t provide a complete fundraising picture — since they only cover large individual and corporate donations. But here’s the snapshot we have at this point in the race.
Governor, GOP
Little: $489,750. (Aug. 23 total, $291,750.)
Among the notable donations to Little: $5,000 from a former rival, 2018 GOP gubernatorial candidate Tommy Ahlquist; $10,000 from Union Pacific Railroad; $10,000 from Altria, a tobacco corporation; $5,000 from Idaho Power; $5,000 from the Idaho Land Fund.
Ed Humphreys: $157,020. (Aug. 23 total, $124,020.)
One notable donation for the regional GOP chair from Eagle: $5,000 from Harry Bettis, a prominent Emmett rancher and president of the Laura Moore Cunningham Foundation.
McGeachin: $102,500. (Aug. 23 total, $82,500.)
The lieutenant governor’s largest recent donations came from Summers Technology Group in Coeur d’Alene ($5,000 total) and Rattlesnake Holdings of Malibu, Calif. ($5,000).
Ammon Bundy: $6,000. (Aug. 23 total, $2,000.)
Steve Bradshaw: $4,050. (Aug. 23 total, $3,000.)
Other gubernatorial candidates
Ten candidates haven’t reported any contributions: Republicans Jeff Cotton of Boise, Chris Hammond of Lewiston (who has since suspended his campaign), Lisa Marie of Boise and Cody Usabel of Meridian; Democrats Melissa Robinson of Nampa and Shelby Rognstad of Sandpoint; Constitution Party candidates Chantyrose Davison of Marsing and Pro-Life of Emmett; and unaffiliated candidates Robert Dempsay of Paul and John Dionne of Boise.
State superintendent, GOP
Debbie Critchfield: $97,000. (Aug. 23 total, $92,000.)
The former State Board of Education member received $2,000 from another former State Board colleague, Andrew Scoggin, and $1,000 from State Board member David Hill and his wife, Georgia Meacham.
Sherri Ybarra: $8,500. (Aug. 23 total, $6,500.)
The two-term incumbent has not announced her plans for 2022. One of recent donations was $1,000 from Winning for Idaho, a pro-gaming PAC in Boise.
Branden Durst: $5,500. (Aug. 23 total, $4,500.)
Lieutenant governor, GOP
Scott Bedke: $122,356. (Aug. 23 total, $70,356.)
The House speaker received $5,000 each from Ahlquist and his wife, Shanna; $5,000 from the Idaho Land Fund; $1,500 from state Sen. Van Burtenshaw, R-Terreton; and $1,000 from Altria.
Luke Malek: $117,265.20. (Aug. 23 total, $93,446.)
The former legislator from Coeur d’Alene files complete, itemized reports each month, which are not required under state law, so his fundraising total should be complete. One notable recent donation: $200 from former Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, the former co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.
Priscilla Giddings: $111,285. (Aug. 23 total, $89,000.)
One large donation to the White Bird state representative’s campaign: $5,000 from Doyle Beck of Idaho Falls, an Idaho Freedom Foundation board member.
Lieutenant governor, Democrat
Terri Pickens Manweiler: $27,500. (Aug. 23 total, $10,000.)
The Boise attorney reported receiving $5,000 from former gubernatorial candidate and Boise school trustee A.J. Balukoff; $5,000 from Balukoff’s wife, Susie; and $2,500 from state Democratic Party chairman Fred Conforth.
Disclosure: J.B. Scott — the founding chairman of the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, which funds Idaho Education News — is affiliated with the Idaho Land Fund.
