One Johnson County legislative race attracts more than $600,000 in outside spending
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
The races for nine seats in the Iowa Legislature in Johnson County and two seats on the Board of Supervisors have brought in almost $1.2 million, with more than 60% of that going toward a single race in the Iowa Senate.
State Sens. Kevin Kinney and Dawn Driscoll are in a rare incumbent-on-incumbent race this election cycle after redistricting placed the two into Senate District 46 covering all of Iowa and Washington County and parts of rural Johnson County. In addition to raising the most in contributions out of any Johnson County candidate in a contested race, the Iowa Democratic Party and Republican Party of Iowa are spending heavily on each candidate, mostly on TV advertisements.
Driscoll, who was first elected to represent Senate District 38 in 2020, is receiving the most aid out of any Republican running for the state Legislature this cycle. Kinney, an eight-year incumbent who represents Iowa Senate District 39 currently, is outraising Driscoll individually but receiving less aid from statewide Democrats.
Iowa GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann said reelecting Driscoll and unseating Kinney is important to the party because it is an opportunity to show that Democrats aren't able to run an effective campaign in rural areas and cannot run on what the modern Democratic Party has become. He said Driscoll "walks the talk" as she campaigns by reaching out to her constituents and touted her experience as a farmer
"Dawn Driscoll is a farmer, but votes like a farmer, and obviously is more indicative of what that rural district is about and what their priorities are," he said.
Andrew Suchorski is the executive director of the Iowa Senate Majority Fund, which fundraises for Iowa Democrats running for the upper chamber of the Iowa Legislature. He said getting Kinney, who is also a farmer, reelected is important to Iowa Democrats because he shows up for constituents and helps get bipartisan bills passed, which is unique in a state where Republicans have a trifecta in the Legislature and governor's office.
"Because of that, (Kinney) has put himself in a really strong position to win. Our decisions to support him in a substantial way are a reflection of his hard work, who he is and our desire to make sure he is returned to the state Senate," Suchorski said.
Below is a look at how much candidates in the Kinney-Driscoll race and others in Johnson County are raising and spending ahead of Election Day.
These totals reflect the total amount spent, raised and the amount of cash-on-hand for the reporting period between July 15 and Oct. 14 as reported to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board. The Senate District 46 race is the only one with significant spending by outside groups on advertisements, mailers and other expenses known as "in-kind contributions."
More:Democrat Deidre DeJear campaigns with the Democratic ticket at University of Iowa homecoming
Statewide Democrats and Republicans spend heavy on Kevin Kinney and Dawn Driscoll in Iowa Senate District 46 race
Republican Iowa state Sen. Dawn Driscoll
Raised: $60,503
Spent: $10,514
Cash-on-hand: $80,783
In-kind contributions: $447,532
Democratic Iowa state Sen. Kevin Kinney
Raised: $78,716
Spent: $111,396
Cash-on-hand: $30,001
In-kind contributions: $161,699
Much of the spending by the Iowa Democrats and Republicans in this race are on ads and mailers that have already hit the airwaves and are arriving in mailboxes. Democrats have spent $90,200 on TV advertisements while Republicans have spent $270,062 as of Oct. 14.
Kinney has two ads up. One features several current and former law enforcement officers expressing their support for him, and the other touts a law Kinney helped champion through the Legislature in response to the death of Noah Herring at Coralville Lake.
Driscoll has a mix of attack ads and ones introducing herself to potential voters. Republicans recently premiered an ad with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds walking alongside Driscoll, with Reynolds criticizing Kinney by saying she "can't count on him to cut taxes," and for voting against Senate File 342, also known as the "Back the Blue" law, which aims to strengthen legal protections for police officers and create steeper penalties for protest-related crimes.
Kinney is a former Johnson County deputy sheriff with 28 years in law enforcement and was one of only two Democrats to vote in favor of the most recent round of tax cuts passed by the Iowa Legislature, cutting income taxes to a flat 3.9% rate. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that Kinney objected to the "Back the Blue" bill because he and other Democrats opposed a felony charge for eluding officers, noting that some caution their own family members not to stop for an unmarked vehicle or one that looks suspicious.
Suchorski said the way Driscoll is spending her money shows a clear contrast between the two candidates when looking at the content of the advertisements.
"You have (Kinney) who has run an entirely positive campaign, talking about what he has actually done and what he is going to do in the Legislature. And then you have Dawn Driscoll who has run an entirely negative campaign," he said.
Suchorski said Kinney has significant support among Democrats, Republicans and Independents and pointed out that it is rare for two sitting Republican legislators, state Reps. Jarad Klein and Dave Maxwell, to endorse a Democrat.
"It speaks to who he is and it speaks to why the Republican Party has had to spend so much money against him. They thought this would be a lot easier of a race," he said.
Suchorski said that, while Republicans are outspending Democrats in this race right now, the Senate Majority Fund will be spending even more on Kinney, which will show up on the next campaign finance report due Friday.
Kaufmann said he thinks Kinney is the last of the Democrats pretending to be moderate and Republicans view this race as a chance to unseat an incumbent with a lengthy voting record they can criticize. He pointed out that the Cedar Rapids Gazette gave him a "B" grade on a fact-check when he pointed out Kinney mostly sided with Democrats on contentious votes.
"This guy is wanting it both ways, and I don't think that it is working. We're trying to highlight that," Kaufmann said.
Kaufmann said, while a minority of Iowans are farmers, Driscoll understands the state has deep agricultural roots and the farming economy is vital. He said reelecting Driscoll is also an opportunity to add more gender diversity to those in the Legislature who are also farmers.
"I think that race personifies the problem that the Democrats have in rural Iowa. They are either going to lose or they're going to try to phantom hope that the folks in those rural districts don't figure it out," Kaufmann said. "We're trying in this race to make sure people know Kevin Kinney's voting record."
Kinney and Driscoll are also receiving significant support from special interest groups and political action committees, with some contributing to both candidates. Kinney brought in $53,350 from labor, energy, ethanol and farming PACs, while Driscoll brought in $35,800 from those same organizations and more from health care, business and banking PACs.
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst contributed $5,000 to Driscoll's campaign and another $2,500 donation came from the Iowa Manufactured Housing Association, which advocates on behalf of mobile home park owners. Kinney has been a vocal supporter of manufactured housing residents as they fight against companies and out-of-state-owners from increasing rents.
Driscoll also got a $750 contribution from the FAMiLY Leader PAC, which advocates on behalf of restricting abortion. Kinney and Driscoll are split on this issue, with Driscoll supporting more restrictions and Kinney supporting Iowa's current laws on abortion.
Republicans outraise and outspend Democrats in Johnson County Board of Supervisors race
Republican Jammie Bradshaw
Raised: $5,950
Spent: $5,920
Cash-on-hand: $3.57
Democrat V Fixmer-Oraiz
Raised: $2,735
Spent: $1,908
Cash-on-hand: $1,894
Democratic Supervisor Jon Green
Raised: $4,539
Spent: $3,870
Cash-on-hand: $7,348
Republican Phil Hemingway
Raised: $9,810
Spent: $4,221
Cash-on-hand: $6,785
Of the four Supervisor candidates who reported raising more than $1,000, Republican Phil Hemingway is leading the pack. Independent candidate Eric Heick did not file a report with the board. Candidates who did not raise more than $1,000 are not required to file a report.
While Hemingway is raising and spending the most ahead of Election Day, he has raised less than one of his opponents this entire election cycle. Fixmer-Oraiz reported raising more than $15,000 prior to the contested Democratic primary for this race.
A majority of the money raised by Hemingway and Republican Jammie Bradshaw, a total of $8,000, is coming from the Johnson County Republican Central Committee, according to filings.
Hemingway is unique among his opponents at this point in the election cycle, spending $960 on radio advertisements through iHeartMedia. None of his opponents have spent funds on radio or TV advertisements, but incumbent Supervisor Jon Green did report spending $1,374 on Facebook advertisements.
More:We asked the Johnson County Supervisor candidates four questions. Here's what they said.
Janice Weiner shows fundraising chops in Iowa Senate District 45 race
Democrat Janice Weiner
Raised: $15,251
Spent: $22,046
Cash-on-hand: $7,746
Republican Harold Weilbrenner
Raised: $1,090
Spent: $257
Cash-on-hand: $832
Democrat Janice Weiner said she would help fundraise for other candidates up and down the ballot even before Republican Harold Weilbrenner was nominated to run for this open Iowa Senate seat by a convention of Republicans this summer.
She has carried through on that, contributing the majority of her campaign money, $20,000, to the Iowa Senate Majority Fund, according to recent filings.
Weilbrenner has raised far less than his opponent, with $1,000 from one contribution from the Johnson County Republicans.
More:What Iowa Senate candidates Harold Weilbrenner and Janice Weiner have said ahead of Election Day
Incumbent Amy Nielsen raises and spends ahead of two opponents in Iowa House District 85 race
Republican Wayne Grell
Raised: $7,100
Spent: $2,639
Cash-on-hand: $4,461
Democratic Iowa state Rep. Amy Nielsen
Raised: $19,260
Spent: $8,243
Cash-on-hand: $13,478
Both incumbent state Rep. Amy Nielsen and Republican Wayne Grell have brought in a significant amount of campaign contributions ahead of the election for House District 85. Like Heick in the Supervisor's race, Libertarian Jacob Wenck did not submit a report to the board.
Nielsen is drawing a majority of her support, over $15,600, from several political action committees representing labor groups, health care workers and large businesses like MidAmerican Energy and Wells Fargo. She contributed $5,000 to the Iowa Democratic Party.
Grell got a majority of his contributions from the Johnson County Republicans, totaling $4,000.
More:Democratic state Rep. Amy Nielsen debates Republican Wayne Grell and Libertarian Jacob Wenck
Democrat Elinor Levin donates to other candidates ahead of Iowa House District 89 race
Democrat Elinor Levin
Raised: $9,527
Spent: $9,697
Cash-on-hand: $2,542
Republican Jacob Onken
Raised: $4,295
Spent: $1,748
Cash-on-hand: $3,048
Onken also had a large contribution from the Johnson County Republicans. The party gave him $3,285 out of his total.
Levin raised significantly more than Onken from a variety of sources, but mostly small donations. Like Nielsen, Kinney and Driscoll, Levin also got some PAC money, $1,500, from labor groups, the Iowa Hospitals Association and the Iowa Unity Coalition.
More:Where Elinor Levin and Jacob Onken stand on key issues in the Iowa House District 89 race
Republican Brad Sherman spends large campaign haul from primaries in Iowa House District 91 race
Republican Brad Sherman
Raised: $4,919
Spent: $10,996
Cash-on-hand: $19,227
Democrat Elle Wyant
Raised: $3,410
Spent: $1,599
Cash-on-hand: $3,855
Prior to the June primary, Republican Brad Sherman raised the second most, more than $25,000, out of every candidate running in Johnson County, behind Democrat Adam Zabner. He was successful, beating out five opponents for his party's nomination.
Sherman raised less ahead of the general election and his opponent, Elle Wyant, kept pace with him. But Sherman spent a large chunk of his campaign cash while Wyant spent only a fraction. Sherman spent his funds until Oct. 14 mostly on mailers, barn signs, brochures and reimbursing himself for mileage.
More:Will Republican Brad Sherman or Democrat Elle Wyant prevail in the Iowa House District 91 race?
Washington County Democrats aid Eileen Beran in her race against Heather Hora in Iowa House District 92
Democrat Eileen Beran
Raised: $12,422
Spent: $10,838
Cash-on-hand: $1,584
Republican Heather Hora
Raised: $8,502
Spent: $2,900
Cash-on-hand: $9,701
Eileen Beran was the only candidate nominated by Democrats to run in a Johnson County race. She is getting significant support from local political parties in her race against Republican Heather Hora.
The Washington County Democrats gave Beran $4,500. Hora, by comparison, got only $1,000 from the Washington County Republicans, but another $5,050 from several farming, health care, private education and business political action committees.
Beran's spending went toward startup costs for her campaign, printing, advertising and campaign signs, while Hora's went toward campaign merchandise like palm cards and notepads.
More:Where Eileen Beran and Heather Hora stand on key issues in the Iowa House District 92 race
Other uncontested races bring in large campaign cash hauls ahead of midterms, contributing to closer races
Three Democratic state legislative candidates in Johnson County are running in uncontested races this fall, including two incumbents and one newcomer who has no challenger. These are Iowa state Sen. and Senate Minority Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville, state Rep. Dave Jacoby of Coralville and Adam Zabner of Iowa City.
Wahls is one of the Democratic party's more prolific fundraisers due to his leadership position in the state and continued that trend leading up to this fall. Weiner, Zabner, Wahls and Jacoby all contributed much of their campaign cash to Democrat-affiliated PACs or other candidates in Iowa in close races.
Here's what each candidate raised:
Democratic Iowa state Rep. Dave Jacoby, Iowa House District 86
Raised: $34,101
Spent: $23,184
Cash-on-hand: $13,973
Democratic Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls, Iowa Senate District 43
Raised: $278,448
Spent: $433,554
Cash-on-hand: $292,045
Democrat Adam Zabner, Iowa House District 90
Raised: $7,361
Spent: $4,305
Cash-on-hand: $8,152
Election Day is Nov. 8 and early voting is ongoing until Nov. 7 at the Johnson County Auditor's Office and other satellite locations throughout Johnson County. More information on this election can be found at https://www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/november-8-2022-general-election.
More:Johnson County voting guide 2022: What's on the ballot, how to register and how to vote early
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: Iowa Democrats, Republicans spend over $600,000 on state Senate race
