THREE WEEKS TO GO UNTIL BALLOTS ARE IN THE MAIL
Campaigns are run on shoe leather, volunteers, and cash, and not always in that order. This year, the Anchorage Municipal races are being run on shoestrings, with fundraising lagging behind recent years.
The candidate’s treasury only tells part of the story; this analysis is what we can discern about the Anchorage municipal candidates’ fundraising efforts, and possibly their political strength, as revealed in the Feb. 18 “year start” report filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission.
The report covers the period from the beginning of the campaign through Feb. 1 of the campaign year. It was due this week for those candidates who intend to raise more than $5,000 for the race that ends April 7. Some candidates started raising money last year after filing an intent to run. Others got a late start.
Incumbents running for Assembly were more likely to raise more than their challengers, and and liberal candidates reported the most campaign debt, while conservative candidates reported no campaign debt in this report.
The municipal candidate who raised the most for this reporting period is Austin Quinn-Davidson, incumbent for District 3-E. She raised more than $41,000, while her two opponents stayed under the $5,000 threshold or did not report. She was followed in fundraising by Suzanne LaFrance, who has a challenger — Rick Castillo, for the South Anchorage seat.
The funds raised by Feb. 1 for Anchorage municipal candidates are generally trending down, with liberal incumbents generally doing better than their conservative challengers.
In 2016’s municipal race, for example five Assembly candidates had raised over $40,000 by Feb. 1, 2016, with Eric Croft raising $66,473.96 that year for Assembly, followed by Forrest Dunbar at $53,249.17. In 2017, Chris Constant raised the most, over $74,000.
Anchorage Municipal candidates’ cash reports:
District 1 – Seat B – Downtown Anchorage:
- Chris Constant: Incumbent, unopposed. Raised $27,688.72, spent 7,613.85. By this time in 2017, Constant had raised $74,636.90.
District 2 – Seat C – Eagle River/Chugiak:
- Jamie Allard: Raised $12,390.00, spent $5,730.51.
- Stephany Jeffers: No report.
- Roger Branson: No report.
- The seat is being vacated by Fred Dyson.
District 3 – Seat E – West Anchorage:
- Austin Quinn-Davidson: Incumbent. Raised $41,154.09, spent $9,208.80.
- MoHagani Magnetek: No report.
- Nick Danger: No report.
District 4 – Seat G – Midtown Anchorage:
- Felix Rivera: Incumbent. Raised $28,500.01, spent $8,976.54, By this time in 2017, Rivera had raised $24,386.99.
- Christine Hill: Raised $19,999.25, spent $6,834.86.
District 5 – Seat I – East Anchorage:
- Pete Petersen: Incumbent. Raised $23,846.00, spent $3,041.84. By this time in 2017, Petersen had raised $19,687.00.
- Monty Dyson: Raised $7,447.01, spent $3,319.70.
- David Walker: No report.
District 6 – Seat K – South Anchorage:
- Suzanne LaFrance: Incumbent. Raised $34,921.27, spent $10,229.44.
- Rick Castillo: Raised $14,840.00, spent $5,720.34.
School Board Seat C:
- Dave Donley: Incumbent. Raised $23,157.89, spent $4,677.40. By this time in 2017, Donley had raised $5,222.34.
- James Smallwood: Raised $19,016.43. Spent $9,392.79.
School Board Seat D:
- Andy Holleman: Incumbent. Raised $13,936.50, spent $4,565.24. By this time in 2017, Holleman had raised $11,008.00.
- Phil Isley: No report.
- JC Cates: No report.
FUNDRAISING TREND BENDS LOWER
The funds raised by Feb. 1 for Anchorage municipal candidates are generally trending down. In 2016’s municipal race, five Assembly candidates had raised over $40,000 by Feb. 1, 2016
The ballots are in the mail to voters on March 17, and once received, Anchorage voters have until April 7 to vote those ballots and mail them in.
