Johnson County races collect $700,000 ahead of June 7 primary. Here's how much candidates raised
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The race for two seats on the county Board of Supervisors and the six primary races for open state legislative seats are driving large amounts of campaign cash into Johnson County, but one incumbent running uncontested is raising more than the combined total of every other candidate in the county.
Zach Wahls, the Iowa Senate minority leader, hauled in almost $400,000 in campaign cash since January 2021, nearly half of which has been raised in the first five months this year. Wahls, a Democrat, amassed $391,635, campaign finance reports due last week reveal.
Wahls, who is running uncontested in both the primary and general election this year, sent a statement saying the total he raised is a sign that voters are drawn to the Democrats' message.
"Our strong fundraising numbers demonstrate Iowans are standing up and rejecting the GOP’s extreme agenda," he said.
Andy Suchorski, executive director of the Iowa Senate Democrats Senate Majority Fund, said Wahls plans on contributing his cash on hand to help elect more Democrats to the Iowa Senate.
Also of note in this cycle's campaign finance data:
The two challengers in the Democratic primary for Johnson County Supervisors are outraising the only incumbent Supervisor up for reelection.
One state Senate candidate is vastly outraising her opponent.
All candidates for state, county and local elections are required to submit documents to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board showing how much they raised and spent.
Here's a look at this year's races in Johnson County and how much each candidate raised and spent in this cycle, which ran through May 14.
More: Voting in the 2022 Johnson County primary election? Here's what's on the ballot, how to vote early
Johnson County Supervisor: Jon Green lags behind Democratic opponents in fundraising
Democrats
Incumbent Supervisor Jon Green
Total receipts: $4,410
Total spent: $753
Cash on hand: $4,819
V Fixmer-Oraiz
Total receipts: $15,429
Total spent: $9,074
Cash on hand: $6,455
Seth Zimmermann
Total receipts: $6,608
Total spent: $2,905
Cash on hand: $3,703
Republicans
Jammie Bradshaw
Total receipts: $1,452
Total spent: $727
Cash on hand: $890
Phil Hemingway
Total receipts: $1,056
Total spent: $0
Cash on hand: $1,056
Green faces Fixmer-Oraiz and Zimmermann in the primary for the Democratic nomination for two seats on the Board of Supervisors. Despite having the advantage of incumbency, Green is not guaranteed his seat on the board if his two challengers gain more votes than him in the primary.
Hemingway and Green previously ran in the special election for Johnson County Supervisor and their fundraising totals are largely from that election cycle.
Green brought $1,162 from his previous campaign, while Hemingway brought $406 from previous campaigns.
More: V Fixmer-Oraiz, Jon Green and Seth Zimmermann debate affordable housing and growth in Johnson County
Johnson County attorney: Rachel Zimmermann-Smith raises over $15,000 despite being unopposed
Democrats
Rachel Zimmermann-Smith
Total receipts: $15,743
Total spent: $11,330
Cash on hand: $4,412
Democrat Rachel Zimmermann-Smith, an assistant Johnson County attorney, is running unopposed for county attorney in both the primary and general election.
Despite this, Zimmermann-Smith is raising and spending much more than many candidates in this cycle, including her cousin, Seth Zimmermann. Her campaign signs are one of the more common ones spread across Iowa City despite the lack of a challenge ahead of the primary.
Zimmermann-Smith told the Press-Citizen she is proud to have this amount of support from people in Johnson County and her family from outside the county.
"Even though it's not contested, I feel like it's really important for the voters to know who I am. To do that in campaigns, you have to raise money to do mailing," she said. "I think I owe it to the voters of Johnson County to let them know who they're voting for."
Going back to 2014, the earliest year on file, retiring County Attorney Janet Lyness never raised more than $1,000 in any of her 16 years in office. Lyness was elected in 2006 as the first woman to serve in the position in county history.
More: Iowa Legislature won't pass Kim Reynolds' private education bill, House speaker says
Iowa Senate District 45: Janice Weiner outraises John Raley
Democrats
John Raley
Total receipts: $5,400
Total spent: $5,261
Cash on hand: $139
Janice Weiner
Total receipts: $16,253
Total spent: $4,619
Cash on hand: $11,946
"It means a lot and it especially means a lot because I didn't have to work very hard to raise money. A lot of people volunteered without me having to ask, which feels great," Weiner said.
One significant piece in these candidates' finances is that Weiner got a $1,500 donation from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who was her boss when he served as U.S. ambassador to Germany and Weiner was a U.S. Consul General there.
"If I get through the primary, which I certainly hope I will, I will look after the primary and help raise money for other people who need it. We're fortunate enough to live in a safe district where you can win without having to raise $100,000 or $200,000," she said.
Raley said raising more than $5,000 is exciting for him as his campaign has been focused on grassroots support. He said he wanted to largely keep money out of politics and hasn't accepted any from businesses or political action committees.
"We've got too much money in politics. At what point in time can we just have it be about forums and debates?" he said.
Weiner also did not receive money from PACs or businesses.
More: John Raley and Janice Weiner debate Republican control, abortion and gun laws at state Senate forum
Iowa House District 90: Young Democrats in hotly contested race rake in over $40,000 combined
Democrats
Andrew Dunn
Total receipts: $21,324
Total spent: $17,209
Cash on hand: $4,115
Christy Wolfe
Total receipts: $5,265
Total spent: $5,010
Cash on hand: $255
Adam Zabner
Total receipts: $35,390
Total spent: $16,032
Cash on hand: $19,358
In one of the more interesting primary races in Johnson County, the three-way Democratic contest for Iowa House District 90 is raking in the most cash, and Zabner leads all local candidates in contested primaries with $35,390.
Wolfe entered the race later than her two opponents and raised less than half of their amounts. Dunn and Zabner began campaigning in 2021 and their totals from that year, more than $10,000 each, are included in his total.
Much of Dunn's funds are donations from himself, totaling $4,157. A majority of Zabner's money came from out-of-state donors. Wolfe received a donation from her sister, sitting state Rep. Mary Wolfe from Clinton.
"I'm really proud. Over 300 people have chosen to contribute to my campaign. I think for these local races, the work we do out on the doors, at the farmers market, are going to be worth more than the money. But you need money to run a campaign," Zabner said.
Zabner said he got so much support from outside Iowa — 198 out of 360 donations total — because he's made so many connections nationally during his work on campaigns for the likes of former U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp and David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama.
"These are folks I worked with when I worked for Pete Buttigieg and Jon Ossoff, who are really supportive and spreading the message out there," he said.
Dunn said he feels he has a broad base of support in the community. He said he attributes the self-funding to being able to save a lot money over the years. He gave his campaign money so it could start early, in September.
"We needed to make sure we could start the campaign strong as well as understand the donation climate wouldn't be as strong as it is now," he said.
Wolfe said she didn't want to raise money to show people how much she could make, but to get enough to pay for yard signs, door-knockers and other materials she needed to campaign.
"Nobody needs to have tens of thousands of dollars in the bank. What we need is we need to ask people for money and spend it in the community," she said.
Iowa House District 89: Levin and Currin are neck-and-neck
Democrats
Anthony Currin
Total receipts: $12,341
Total spent: $8,427
Cash on hand: $3,914
Elinor Levin
Total receipts: $11,861
Total spent: $3,694
Cash on hand: $8,518
The two Democrats running for House District 89 in southern Iowa City are neck-and-neck in fundraising, both bringing in about $12,000, with Currin taking the slight edge. Currin spent more than Levin by nearly $5,000.
"It truly makes me feel like I have support from the community and that my message is resonating and I'm on the right track," Currin said.
The source of funds for these two are unique from other candidates. While Levin got a lot of money from herself and family members, Currin's campaign brought in $5,000 from one donation: from Democrat, Republican Independent Voter Education, a fundraising arm of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, of which he is a member in the Local 238 branch in Cedar Rapids.
Currin said this donation reflects his history as an activist at the forefront of fights for labor rights.
Levin's finances show several donations from herself and her family members in Iowa and around the U.S., totaling $6,375.
Levin said she is glad her family took it upon themselves to make donations to her campaign. She said she thinks people are eager to see someone elected who cares about the district, city and state and has more of a perspective of how Iowa impacts the people of House District 89.
"I set myself a goal for the primary and I met it. Honestly, the thing that has been the most rewarding is the breadth of people that those donations have come from, from one $16 donation to $1,000 from a family member," Levin said. "It feels like the community is coming out and paying attention."
More: Tony Currin and Elinor Levin talk home rule, abortion, environment at House District 89 voter forum
Iowa House District 91: Brad Sherman outraises Republican opponents in 6-person race
Republicans
Brad Sherman
Total receipts: $25,411
Total spent: $14,774
Cash on hand: $10,637
Skylar Limkemann
Total receipts: $6,570
Total spent: $2,338
Cash on hand: $4,732
Devon Hodgeman
Total receipts: $0
Total spent: $0
Cash on hand: $0
Democrats
Elle Wyant
Total receipts: $2,830
Total spent: $112
Cash on hand: $2,718
John George, Adam Grier and Matt McAreavy, the other three Republicans in this race, did not submit campaign finance data to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board prior to this story being published. A candidate does not have to file a report under Iowa law if they raised less than $1,000.
Sherman, who led the field in fundraising, received a $1,000 donation from former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Sherman is a former supporter of Huckabee, who won the 2008 Iowa Caucuses for the Republican Party, and told a crowd at a League of Women Voters forum that he received Huckabee's endorsement.
Iowa House District 92: Jaron Rosien outraises Heather Hora
Republicans
Jaron Rosien
Total receipts: $11,750
Total spent: $4,938
Cash on hand: $6,812
Heather Hora
Total receipts: $3,823
Total spent: $815
Cash on hand: $3,624
Democrats
Ty Bopp
Total receipts: $755
Total spent: $0
Cash on hand: $755
Washington Mayor Rosien is outraising his opponent in the Republican primary for House District 92, Hora. The winner of this primary will likely go on to run against Bopp in November.
Rosien received significant support from his hometown, including from Washington City Councilmember Illa Earnest and Todd Patterson, the CEO of Washington County Hospitals and Clinics
Despite being outraised, Hora got a boost to her campaign with a significant endorsement from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a rarity among Republican primary races in Iowa this year. Reynolds has not donated to Hora's campaign as of May 14.
"It’s an honor to have Gov. Kim Reynolds’ endorsement, and I look forward to working with her to cut taxes, support law enforcement, grow rural Iowa, and give parents a choice in their child’s education,” Hora said in a statement.
More: Republicans outraise longtime Democrats in races for Iowa attorney general, treasurer
Other Johnson County races: Incumbents rake in cash ahead of reelection bids
Here is a breakdown of other candidates, all incumbents, who mostly are running uncontested for reelection in the June 7 primary and Nov. 8 General Election. These totals are from Jan. 1, 2021, until May 14, 2022.
Wahls raised the most out of any candidate running for public office in Johnson County. The race for Senate District 46 between incumbent Democrat Kevin Kinney and Republican state Sen. Dawn Driscoll is also generating a lot of money.
Senate District 43 state Sen. Zach Wahls (Democrat)
Total receipts: $391,635
Total spent: $31,610
Cash on hand: $369,413
Senate District 46 state Sen. Kevin Kinney (Democrat)
Total receipts: $48,921
Total spent: $5,829
Cash on hand: $54,334
Senate District 46 state Sen. Dawn Driscoll (Republican)
Total receipts: $28,500
Total spent: $2,847
Cash on hand: $30,284
House District 85 state Rep. Amy Nielsen (Democrat)
Total receipts: $6,090
Total spent: $5,579
Cash on hand: $2,049
House District 86 state Rep. Dave Jacoby (Democrat)
Total receipts: $15,603
Total spent: $14,085
Cash on hand: $3,222
More: Here's where the Republican US Senate candidates stand on President Joe Biden's agenda and elections
George Shillcock is the Press-Citizen's local government and development reporter covering Iowa City and Johnson County. He can be reached at (515) 350-6307, GShillcock@press-citizen.com and on Twitter @ShillcockGeorge
This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Johnson County candidates raise $700,000 ahead of June 7 primary
