Elections: Ybarra won despite meager fundraising

State superintendent-elect Sherri Ybarra was elected despite meager fundraising throughout the year — and almost nonexistent fundraising in the runup to the Nov. 4 election.

Sherri Ybarra square
Sherri Ybarra

Ybarra, a Mountain Home Republican, raised only $2,329.15 from Oct. 20 through Nov. 14, according to campaign finance reports filed Thursday. Nearly half of this sum came in a single contribution: a $1,000 contribution from K12, an online curriculum vendor based in Herndon, Va.

Idaho Falls Democrat Jana Jones raised $14,274 in the campaign stretch run. All told, Jones outraised Ybarra by nearly a 5-to-1 margin.

Thursday was the deadline for statewide candidates to file their post-election campaign finance reports. The latest reports were consistent with previous filings: Democratic candidates enjoyed financial edges in the races for superintendent of public instruction, governor and secretary of state.

However, Republicans won all three of these races en route to a sweep of the statewide ticket. Democrats have not won a statewide election since 2002.

Here are thumbnails from the sunshine reports.

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Ybarra

Oct. 20-Nov. 14: Raised $2,329.15, spent $5,095.96.

Total for year: Raised $38,781.98, spent $36,976.87.

Highlights from latest report: K12 Management Inc., Herndon. Va., $1,000; Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, $400.

Jones

Oct. 20-Nov.14: Raised $14,274, spent $51,279.62

Total for year: Raised $153,884.74, spent $153,070.36

Highlights from latest report: Hagadone Hospitality, Coeur d’Alene, $500; Monte Woolstenhulme, Teton School District superintendent, $50.

Governor

Butch Otter, Republican

Oct. 20-Nov. 14: Raised $193,630.40, spent $287,329.26

Total for year: Raised $1,485,898.80, spent $2,129,944.33

Highlights from report: K12, $2,000; Rod Lewis, State Board of Education member, $2,500; House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, $1,000; Mark Durcan, CEO, Micron Technology, $1,500.

A.J. Balukoff, Democrat

Oct. 20-Nov. 14: Raised $878,899.90, spent $882,709.41.

Total for year: Raised $4,039,690.63, spent $4,074,080.75

Highlights from latest report: In a campaign that was almost exclusively self-financed, Balukoff made $842,000 in donations in the final days of the race.

John Bujak, Libertarian

Oct. 20-Nov.14: Raised $2,351.82, spent $17,432.06

Total for year: Raised and spent $31,989.12.

Highlight from latest report: Bujak forgave a $1,636.62 loan to his campaign.

Secretary of State

Lawerence Denney, Republican

Oct. 20, Nov. 14: Raised $20,049.85, spent $70,158.93.

Total for year: Raised $307,533.55, spent $318,760.01.

Highlights from latest report: Former state Rep. Phil Hart, R-Hayden; $250; Patricia Kempthorne, wife of former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, $250.

Holli Woodings, Democrat

Oct. 20-Nov. 14: Raised $24,614.64, spent $54,769.56

Total for year: Raised $412,767.27, spent $408,344.36

Highlight from latest report: Keith and Christine Allred, $500. Keith Allred was the Democrats’ gubernatorial candidate in 2010.

Kevin Richert

Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public Television and "Idaho Matters" on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]

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