Companies. Officials. Activists. See who’s giving money to whom in Boise mayor’s race

Two months from Election Day, donations are flowing into local Boise races, with Mayor Lauren McLean building a formidable fundraising lead in her campaign for a second term.

McLean, a Democrat, has pulled in more than $400,000, while her primary competitor, Mike Masterson, has raised $182,445.

Starting the year with less than $100,000, McLean has raised over $297,000 so far in 2023.

Both small and large donors have given money to her campaign, with a maximum per-person allowance of $1,000 per municipal race in Idaho. Most donors live in Boise, while others are from neighboring cities, the Wood River Valley or as far away as San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The donors include developers like Clay Carley of Old Boise, Tommy Ahlquist, David Wali of Gardner Co., Casey Lynch of Roundhouse, and Jim Tomlinson, an affordable-housing developer.

Ahlquist, a Republican, ran for governor against Brad Little in 2018 but told the Statesman he likes to focus on candidates and doesn’t think local elections are partisan.

“Mayor McLean has been extremely business proactive,” Ahlquist said. He said the city’s recent rewrite of its zoning code is good for his business and will increase housing affordability, which he also supports.

“She’s one of the most business-friendly mayors and staff that we deal with in our portfolio,” he said. “I simply have no complaints and think the leadership is fantastic.”

McLean has also received money from former Democratic Rep. Larry LaRocco and elected Idaho Democratic standard-bearers like state Reps. Ilana Rubel, Lauren Necochea, Ned Burns and John Gannon and state Sen. Melissa Wintrow.

She’s also gotten funds from the descendants of former Democratic standard-bearers: Monica Church, the granddaughter of both former Idaho Sen. Frank Church and Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus, gave her $200; Tracy Andrus, the former governor’s daughter, gave $300.

Some of her donations have come from political action committees, which are organized fundraising arms united around a common purpose.

Planned Parenthood Votes Idaho PAC gave McLean $750, Safer Streets and Families gave her $1,000, and Conservation Voters for Idaho gave her $1,000, according to Idaho Secretary of State records.

Luke Mayville, one of the founders of Reclaim Idaho, a group that spearheaded expanding Medicaid in the state, donated $100 to McLean with his wife, Elena.

Current and former Boise City Council members have given McLean money, including $500 from former member Elaine Clegg, $1,000 from Council Member Patrick Bageant, $1,000 from Council Member Latonia Haney Keith — who McLean appointed — and $250 from Council Member Colin Nash, whom she also appointed.

Other notable donations include $250 from Jodi Petersen, the executive director of the homeless shelter Interfaith Sanctuary. Interfaith has been through a lengthy fight over relocating its shelter to West State Street, which the City Council approved last year.

McLean has spent over $16,000 on a California polling company, as well as over $100,000 on the Scrap Shop, a progressive campaign consultant in Boise that her campaign manager, Melanie Folwell, directs.

Local elections in Idaho are officially nonpartisan.

Masterson backed by Bieter, some GOP donors

Masterson, a former Republican police chief who has the backing of local public safety unions, has received donations from local law enforcement and elected officials. He is now registered as an independent.

Current Boise police officers, like Kip Paporello, Brian Holland and Chance Feldner, have given him money, as has retired officer Greg Oster. Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts, a Republican and the wife of Garden City Police Chief Cory Stambaugh, donated $550.

Big City Coffee, a downtown coffee shop that has displayed support for law enforcement and sued Boise State University in 2021 over its departure from the campus, donated $1,000.

Former Ada County Sheriff Gary Raney, a Republican, gave him $300. David Leroy, a former Republican Idaho attorney general, gave $350.

Marianne and Larry Williams, major Idaho Republican donors, gave $2,000.

Former Mayor David Bieter, a Democrat who lost his bid for a fifth term to McLean in a 2019 runoff, donated $500.

Developers have also given money to Masterson’s campaign.

Michael Fery, CEO of the real estate firm Rocky Mountain Cos., donated $1,000 to Masterson through 10 different companies he controls.

Dennis Baker, a real estate developer, donated $500 through a company he controls.

Bauscher Real Estate donated $1,000, as did Matthew Bauscher, the owner.

Wali, who hired Bieter at Gardner after Bieter’s defeat, nonetheless donated $1,000 to McLean last fall, and then donated $1,000 to Masterson in June.

On Tuesday, Masterson returned a $100 donation after the donor made an anti-gay post.

In May, McLean’s campaign returned a $1,000 donation from a New York political action committee connected with a corporate firm after having pledged to not take money from corporate PACs.

Masterson has spent close to $25,000 on Gem State Public Affairs, a political consulting firm run by Luisa Uribe, who previously worked for the Ada County Republicans during the 2020 election.

Ada County voters: See here who’s running in November 2023 elections in your city

City Council

Money has also been flowing into City Council races, which will all be picked based on geographic districts for the first time this year.

A rising player in Boise Democratic politics is out-fundraising a longtime Democratic senator, while a new face in city politics has already been endorsed by prominent officials.

District 1, West Boise

Luci Willits

Willits, who works in education technology, is running unopposed in her district, but she has raised money anyway: $35,316 so far. She is the only Republican incumbent on the council. Like Masterson, she’s receiving support from the Boise firefighters union, getting a $1,000 donation from their PAC.

Republican Ada County Commission Chair Rod Beck gave her $200, and County Assessor Rebecca Arnold gave her $100. Bageant, the Boise council member, also gave her $1,000.

Mary May, a former Ada County Highway District Commissioner running for Eagle City Council, gave her $50, Rep. Codi Galloway, R-Boise, gave her $100, and Bennetts, the prosecutor, gave her $150.

Mountain West Associates, a Boise education company,gave her $1,000, as did the company’s managing partner, Marybeth Flachbart, according to her Facebook account.

Boise real estate agent Lynn Bradescu donated $500.

Meridian builder Biltmore Co. gave her $1,000, as did the Idaho Land Fund, a major donor in state elections. Other builders, like W.H. Moore Co., also donated.

Former chairman of the Idaho Republican Party Tom Luna gave her $1,000.

District 2, West Boise

In District 2, two candidates who served together as Democratic members of the Legislature — Colin Nash and Grant Burgoyne — are squaring off and have pulled in most of the cash-flow. But Nash has locked up the support of the Democratic establishment.

Colin Nash

Nash, an attorney who was appointed to fill Elaine Clegg’s seat in April, has received large donations from players in Boise Democratic politics, including $1,000 from Melissa Wintrow, $1,000 from Ilana Rubel, $500 from former Ada County Commissioner Diana Lachiondo, who is also his treasurer, and $500 from Rep. Ali Rabe, R-Boise.

He’s received $2,000 from prominent local donors A.J. and Susie Balukoff.

He has raised $26,505.

Other notable donors include:

Grant Burgoyne

A retired longtime Democratic state legislator, Burgoyne has donated $5,000 to his own campaign and loaned himself more than $6,000. In total he has raised more than $20,000 and spent most of it. As of the end of August, he had $440 on hand after expenditures.

He received a $500 donation from Small Hydro Political Committee Inc., a company controlled by Tom Arkoosh, former Democratic candidate for Idaho attorney general.

Bronco Motors CEO Grant Petersen Jr. donated $1,000.

Maryanne Jordan, treasurer of Masterson’s campaign, gave him $250.

Jesse Gonzales

No funds raised.

Hillary Smith

Smith has raised $6,620, including a $5,000 loan to herself.

District 3, Boise Bench, Southwest Boise

Theresa Vawter

Vawter, who works for the Idaho Food Bank, has raised $7,944, including $250 from Ali Rabe and $250 from Meridian City Council Member Luke Cavener.

Josh Johnston

Johnston, an engineer, has raised $26,230, including a $20,000 loan to himself.

He received $1,000 from the Idaho Land Fund, $100 from Solar USA Inc., and $1,000 from Oliver & Associates, Inc., a construction company.

Chris Blanchard

Blanchard, a Boise Planning and Zoning Commissioner, has raised $3,120.

Kathleen Corless

Corless has raised $1,920 — mostly from loans to herself — and spent most of it.

District 4, South Boise, Southeast Boise

Jordan Morales

Morales, who manages the computer science department at Boise State University, has raised $15,233 and caught the eye of Democratic elected officials.

Ilana Rubel gave him $1,000, Brooke Green gave him $500, Chris Mathias gave $200, and Janie Ward-Engelking gave $500.

He has served as a substitute representative for Rubel and Green, previously worked as Ada County chief judge of elections, and founded the Latter-day Saint Dems Idaho caucus, according to his campaign website.

Other notable donors include:

Neil Mercer

Mercer donated $763 to himself and spent all of it.

Janet Burke

Burke has not filed any fundraising reports.

District 5, East Boise, North End

Meredith Stead

Stead, an incumbent appointed by McLean and former Planning and Zoning Commissioner, has also gotten the attention of local Democrats and donors. She works in marketing for Albertsons.

Her campaign has raised $24,175 since launching in June. Her notable donors include:

Jeremy Gugino

Gugino, former communications director for the Idaho House and Senate Democrats and for Reclaim Idaho, a group that has advocated for progressive ballot measures, donated $30,000 to himself and has raised a total of $33,347.

District 6, North End and Northwest Boise

Jimmy Hallyburton

Hallyburton, who is executive director of the Boise Bicycle Project but plans to retire this month, is running unopposed and is president of the City Council. He has raised $15,150.

His donors include: