Weaver raises more than twice Thompson in individual donations, but Thompson gets $135K from Iowa GOP
At a forum earlier this month for candidates for Iowa House District 47 candidates, Democrat David Weaver, Republican Phil Thompson, and Libertarian Patrick Shaw each had a different answer to a question about how they’re paying for their campaign.
Shaw’s was easiest. He said there’s no money for Libertarians and his campaign is self-funded.
Weaver said he had raised $46-$47,000, and that although there had been a few $1,000 checks, most of it had come in as $25 or $35 checks.
Thompson talked about his low-budget primary campaign, about printing mailings on his personal printer. He said the primary campaign was his own sweat, “and that’s what I’m doing this time, too.” He added that he’s gotten “a huge assist” from the Republican Party of Iowa.
He noted that information on campaign donations is available on the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board’s website.
That website, www.iowa.gov/ethics, shows that between Sept. 14 and Oct. 8 Thompson received in-kind donations of $135,657 from the Republican Party of Iowa. Of seven separate donations, the largest, $43,068, was reported for Oct. 3. A donation of $40,065 was reported for Sept. 28, and $37,088 was reported for Sept. 21. Four other donations were for $5,600 or less.
The Republican Party of Iowa has not been as generous with House candidates in neighboring districts. In House District 20, (Adair, Guthrie and part of Dallas County), there is no incumbent running. Democrat Warren Varley is running against Republican Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. The Republican Party of Iowa has given $2,965 in in-kind assistance to Sorensen.
In House District 12 (Carroll and portions of Crawford and Audubon counties), Republican incumbent Brian Best is challenged by Democrat Peter Leo. Best has received $3,165 from the state party. And in House District 48 (Hamilton and parts of Boone and Webster counties), incumbent Republican Robert Bacon has received $2,887 to aid in his campaign against challenger Tim Winter.
Thompson has received $3,218 from the Greene County Republican Central Committee, including a contribution of $1,568 in late March, two months before the Republican primary. He has received another $500 from the Boone County central committee.
At the forum, Thompson said he had received money from two political action committees (PACs) – Iowans for Tax Relief and the Associated General Contractors. Those donations were $500 and $2,000 respectively.
He also received $1,000 from Master Builders of Iowa PAC, dated Oct 2; and $1,000 from Bankers Unite in Legislative Decisions (aka BUILD), dated Sept.28. He has since received a $250 donation from Wellmark Inc’s PAC.
Since last Jan. 1, Thompson has received $20,883 in personal contributions. Like Weaver, there have been a few large checks but more $25-$50 checks.
All told, Thompson’s campaign has received $165,008 in cash and in-kind donations.
Weaver’s report shows two in-kind donations from the Iowa Democratic Party, each for $3,400; he has received a total of $6,800 from the Iowa Democrats. He also received an in-kind donation from Postcards to Iowa Voters of $114.75. Those donations were made Oct. 14.
Weaver said that the forum he had received donations from the Iowa Professional Firefighters PAC ($1,500 on Sept. 27) and from Iowa Conservation Voters ($500 on Aug. 5).
He also received a $2,532 in-kind donation on Aug. 14 from One Vote at a Time Iowa, a PAC formed in July to elect progressive politicians at all levels of government; a cash donation of $1,000 on Sept. 27 from Opportunity & Renewal PAC, formed to promote Democratic leadership; $1,000 from the Iowa Realtors PAC on Sept. 18; $1,000 from the Operating Engineers Local 234 political fund on Aug. 19; $250 from the Iowa Committee on Political Education -AFL-CIO on Sept. 17; $1,000 from the Iowa Hospital Association PAC on Sept. 14; and $500 from Local Union No. 347 EBEW PAC on Aug. 25.
Weaver received $500 donations from the Boone County Democratic Central Committee on March 26 and July 8. Donations from committee and PACs total $17,197.
Since Jan. 1, Weaver has received $49,297 from individuals, with $6,152 of that as in-kind donations from him and his wife or from his parents to the campaign.
Contributions to Weaver’s campaign have totaled $66,454.
