As Primary Election Nears, Outside Money Still Pouring In

By Nick Blumberg
Published: Friday, August 22, 2014 - 3:32pm

With just a few days left before Arizona’s primary, outside groups hoping to influence the election have been pumping plenty of money into the campaign. But other donors are likely waiting until after Tuesday to get in on the action.

Governor Jan Brewer’s independent expenditure committee has spent more than $100,000 this month promoting legislative candidates who voted for her medicaid expansion plan and supporting primary challengers of lawmakers who voted against medicaid. Another dark money group allegedly tied to one of Arizona’s big utilities spent $300,000 this week alone trying to influence the outcome of the Corporation Commission race.

In the meantime, the Republican Governors Association’s local PAC has only spent about $60,000 so far this election cycle, most of which went to a GOP-connected polling firm. The association generally stays out of primary elections, but after a Republican candidate is chosen it’ll have plenty of money to try to get him or her elected. In a report filed yesterday, the group said it has about $1.5 million on hand.

Politics