Candidates for competitive county offices amass war chests, prepare for pivotal election
Campaign finance records show candidates for some Maricopa County offices are quickly amassing war chests as they prepare for a pivotal and noisy election year.
Races for county recorder and a few county supervisor seats are widely expected to be competitive. Maricopa County has been hit with false allegations of fraud following recent elections and its sitting officials have become nationally-known targets for unfounded voting conspiracies and threats.
Meanwhile, demographics are changing in the Valley. That could give Democrats a chance to pick up seats on the Board of Supervisors, which has long been a Republican stronghold with a solid conservative majority.
So far, fundraising numbers for the most hotly contested races mostly reflect the hype.
Recorder Stephen Richer, who is running for reelection as a Republican, said he has raised about $200,000 for his race. That includes more than $75,000 from out-of-state donors.
His Republican primary challenger, Don Hiatt, didn't immediately respond to The Arizona Republic's request for comment on their fundraising totals. His campaign finance report was not immediately available in the county's reporting portal on Wednesday.
Richer's total eclipses his Democratic opponent, Timothy Stringham, who pulled in about $21,500. Stringham called Richer's numbers "fantastic," but noted Richer still has to get through a Republican primary. Stringham said he is "impressed" with his own total as a first-time candidate.
"We've never done this before," he said. "For people to have donated over $20,000 for some guy that's brand new out of the military, I think that was incredibly gracious. I'm quite touched by it."
Fundraising totals were also high in politically-purple District 3, where three candidates are currently vying to represent a vast swath of central and northern Phoenix.
Democrat Daniel Valenzuela netted more than $121,000, which included support from labor unions, firefighter organizations and some business interests. He called his total "a strong start."
"It's a clear indicator of the broad support we have in the community — from our first responders to so many of our business, labor and community leaders on both sides of the aisle," he said.
Republican Kate Brophy McGee reported receipts totaling about $108,000, driven almost entirely by in-state individual donors.
"I'm just getting started," Brophy McGee said. "I'm happy with the results."
Her primary opponent, Tabatha LaVoie, came in with roughly $90,000. She said she is "working diligently" to raise an additional $50,000 in the coming quarter through fundraising events with "friends, colleagues and business leaders."
Politics: Arizona lawmaker pay hasn't budged in a quarter century. But other pay has
In District 1, which includes most of the southeast Valley, Republican Jack Sellers is starting his race with about $47,000 in the bank. Sellers is an incumbent candidate and entered last year with nearly $20,000 already in his campaign finance account.
Democrat Joel Navarro raised a little over $20,000. About half of that was transferred from his previous candidate committee, Joel Navarro for Tempe.
Both candidates said they are working on fundraising in the coming months.
Tom Galvin came in with more than $115,000 in new fundraising in bright-red District 2, which encompasses parts of Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, Mesa and Gilbert. That number included about $100,000 from in-state individuals, as well as contributions from business and real estate interests.
"We are building a strong coalition of supporters who want effective and principled leadership at the county," he said in a statement.
His primary opponent, Michelle Ugenti-Rita, trailed with roughly $45,000 in receipts. She said she is "rich in support and endorsements," touting messages of support from numerous Republican state lawmakers, U.S Rep. David Schweikert and Abe Hamadeh, a former attorney general candidate who’s running for Congress.
"Last time I checked, this was a race about who gets the most votes," Ugenti-Rita said. "That's what wins a race."
How much dough will it take to win?
Most candidates were hesitant to hedge guesses on how much their races might cost in total.
Richer responded to the question with a shrugging emoji. Brophy McGee said it was "very early in the race" to say. Galvin had "no idea." Only LaVoie dared venture an estimate.
"We estimate the primary election will cost between $200,000 to $250,000, and the general election will cost about the same," she said.
Historical campaign finance records show fundraising numbers are much higher than usual in competitive county supervisor and county recorder races, even when the dollars are adjusted for inflation.
In 2020, incumbent Republican Bill Gates narrowly beat out Democrat Whitney Walker to represent District 3 on the Board of Supervisors. By October, he had raised roughly $130,000 throughout his election cycle, and Walker had raised about $105,000. Those numbers rise slightly to about $153,000 and $123,000 when adjusted for inflation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That's not far off from the totals newcomers Valenzuela, Brophy McGee and LaVoie are already touting early in their races.
The difference is especially stark in the county recorder's race. In 2020, Richer raised about $300,000 throughout his election cycle — about $353,000 in today's dollars. His opponent, Democrat Adrian Fontes, raised roughly $375,000, or $441,000 when adjusted for inflation.
"I'm just getting started and I've about matched my 2020 total," Richer said. "I expect I will raise way more."
Sasha Hupka covers county government and regional issues for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on a candidate? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Candidates for competitive Maricopa County offices amass war chests
