Ronald J. Hansen

The Republic | azcentral.com

Christine Jones put $1.3 million into her campaign, helping give her a cash advantage

Paul Babeu and Wendy Rogers were nearly even in cash entering the last weeks of their campaigns

U.S. Rep. Martha McSally once again outraised every congressional candidate in Arizona

Christine Jones reached deep into her own pocketbook for the final stages of her efforts to win one of Arizona’s two open congressional seats.

The former GoDaddy executive has poured at least $1.5 million of her own money into her campaign for the safely conservative 5th District seat since the end of June, campaign finance records filed Thursday show.

The influx gave Jones a decided cash advantage heading into the final weeks of that Republican primary race in the East Valley.

Here are five things we learned from the latest congressional campaign finance reports:

1. Christine Jones is leaning way in

It may be hard to tell which candidate is winning the GOP primary in the 5th District, but each campaign’s financial situation is very distinct.

Jones easily had the most cash, $360,000, which was to be expected after she put in $1.255 million of her own money. Since then, she has added another $250,000. Overall, she has loaned her campaign $1.9 million.

By contrast, former Maricopa County Supervisor Don Stapley loaned his campaign $150,000 and had $204,000 in cash as of Aug. 10.

State Sen. Andy Biggs easily raised the most from individual donors, $121,000 since June, and also kicked in $50,000 of his own money. Even so, his campaign had just $98,000 as of last week. The six-figure support he’s getting from the Washington-based Club for Growth helps offset his relatively weak finances as the primary voting deadline approaches.

And then there’s state Rep. Justin Olson, who raised $15,000 from donors since June. That was less than the $20,000 Jones collected, though she’s largely self-funding her campaign. Olson didn’t loan his campaign anything in July or early August and had only $8,800 in cash left.

Retiring U.S. Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., currently represents the district.

Polls: Don Stapley, Christine Jones, Andy Biggs in tight race to replace Rep. Matt Salmon

2. Paul Babeu, Wendy Rogers even in cash

There was no clear cash advantage in the Republican race for the other open congressional seat, the 1st District that encompasses rural eastern Arizona.

Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu and retired Air Force pilot Wendy Rogers had about the same amount of money left as of last week. He had $116,000 and she had $123,000.

Businessman Gary Kiehne has already put $752,000 into his campaign, but didn't add anything from July to Aug. 10. He still had $68,000 in his campaign coffers.

Former Secretary of State Ken Bennett had $83,000, but raised the least from donors in that race in the 41 days the latest report covers. To put Bennett's $23,000 in donations in perspective: House Speaker David Gowan raised $33,000 from donors and he dropped out of the race.

The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz., who is challenging U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

Phoenix- area Arizona legislative races to watch in 2016

3. Martha McSally is still a money machine

By now, it's not surprising U.S. Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., once again dominated fundraising during the latest period. She has easily outraised everyone running in Arizona congressional races this cycle.

What is surprising, perhaps, is just how big her numbers are.

She pulled in $401,000 from donors in July and early August. The four Republicans running for Salmon's seat and the four still in the race for Kirkpatrick's seat raised a combined $402,000.

McSally raised three times more money in the latest period than the combined total of her Democratic challengers, state Rep. Matt Heinz and former state Rep. Victoria Steele.

4. Kyrsten Sinema isn't worried

U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., raised $110,000 from individual donors in the latest period. Only McSally and Biggs raised more from that source in that time.

In fact, Sinema's campaign appears to be on autopilot.

Two years ago, she raised $120,000 in the same pre-primary period. This cycle, she has $1.6 million in cash at the moment. Two years ago, she had $893,000.

She now has 17 times more cash than her likely Republican opponent, John Agra.

5. David Gowan channeled Jonathon Paton

Before quitting the 1st District race, Gowan took in more money from a source that seemed radioactive four years ago: the payday lending industry.

Gowan collected $3,000 in the latest period from executives with Cash Time in Scottsdale and Georgia-based Loan Max. Overall, they gave his campaign $6,200, records show.

Their support no doubt comes from Gowan's backing this year for a bill that would have allowed "flex loans," another high-interest loan product pushed at the Legislature in recent years.

Though smaller amounts, Gowan's contributions may have risked echoing the line of attack Kirkpatrick used in 2012 to beat back then-challenger Jonathan Paton, who also took money from similar lenders.

It's unclear how effective the "Payday Paton" label was for Kirkpatrick, but she hammered him with it for months in the same district Gowan was trying to win.

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