Big money spent on state senate race
The final numbers are in for the 2016 campaign in which more than $1.2 million was spent on a local state senate race.
In the most recent reports that were filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board (IECDB) on Jan. 19, state Senate District 36 candidates Jeff Edler and Steve Sodders spent roughly $670,000 and $560,000 respectively on their campaigns. Edler, the Republican challenger, beat the two-term Democratic incumbent Sodders on Nov. 8 — 14,731 votes to 13,111 votes. That equates roughly to $46 spent on each of Edler’s votes; $43 for each for Sodders’.
The vast majority of campaign expenditures were in the form of in-kind contributions from the Republican Party of Iowa and the Democratic Party of Iowa to their respective candidates.
And much of the campaign expenditures did not occur until just a few weeks prior to the Nov. 8 election.
During the past reporting period (from July 15-Oct. 14, 2016), Edler and his campaign has spent $47,000, along with $283,000 from in-kind contributions (mostly from the Republican Party).
But from Oct. 15 through Dec. 31, the campaign spent an additional $7,400, but received an additional $296,000 from in-kind contributions, again mainly from the GOP.
Sodders’ campaign during the previous reporting period (from July 15-Oct. 14, 2016), reported spending roughly $58,000 on his campaign, along with in-kind contributions of more than $116,000 — the majority of that from the Iowa Democratic Party.
But from Oct. 15 through the end of 2016, the Sodders campaign spent an additional $21,000 and received $300,000 from in-kind contributions — the majority from the Democratic Party.
Both in-kind contributions for Edler and Sodders were mainly for advertising purposes, including television and radio commercials, print advertising, mailers and flyers.
Other political interest groups also spent money for and against Sodders and Edler, but that information is not reflected in these numbers since they were not officially affiliated with either campaign.
At the end of the most recent filing period, Edler had roughly $1,600 remaining in his account; Sodders, meanwhile, has a balance of just under $54,000.
House District 72
The money spent in the House District 72 paled in comparison to the State Senate 36 race.
Incumbent Republican Rep. Dean Fisher began the previous filing period with just more than $10,000, raised an addition $19,000+, for a total of more than $29,100. With expenditures of more than $28,400, Fisher reported roughly $700 cash on hand.
From Oct. 15 through the end of the year, he spent $3,600 in additional money, plus in-kind contributions of $20,000.
His opponent, Democrat Nathan Wrage, began the previous filing period with just more than $12,700, adding an additional $8,000 in contributions for a total of $20,700.
His expenditures up until that point was just under $1,000, leaving with him with $19,700+ cash on hand.
From Oct. 15 through Dec. 31, Wrage spent just more than $20,000, plus in-kind contributions of $11,200.
At the end of the campaign, Fisher had about $320 in his account; Wrage just under $2,200.
Fisher was re-elected with 9,397 votes compared to Wrage’s 5,841 votes.
Marshall County Auditor/Recorder
In the race for auditor/recorder, incumbent Republican Deanne Raymond has raised $1,745 in cash contributions in the previous filing period. She had spent just under $1,400 leaving her campaign with roughly $355 cash on hand.
From Oct 15 on, she added $800 in contributions and spent roughly $970. She also loaned $700 to her campaign. At the end of the campaign, her cash on hand was just under $900.
Her Democratic challenger, Luisa Ortega, meanwhile had raised just under $3,400 during the previous filing period. She has spent more than $1,700, leaving her with just more than $1,600 cash on hand.
From Oct. 15 on, Ortega collected more than $1,200 in contributions, spent nearly $2,100 and loaned herself $300. Her campaign account lists a balance of roughly $470.
Raymond won the contest.
Marshall County Supervisor
Democratic candidate for supervisor Jon Muller had just under $3,000 cash on hand during the previous filing period. Cash contributions to his campaign totaled just under $4,900; with $1,900+ in expenditures; leaving his campaign with $2,957 in the bank.
From Oct. 15 through the campaign, Muller collected more than $650 in contributions and spent an estimated $3,600, leaving a zero balance.
Republican challenger Steve Salasek, meanwhile, had just under $1,600 cash on hand back on Oct. 14. He had collected more than $2,200 in contributions while spending about $670, leaving his campaign with $1,567.
From Oct. 15 on, Salasek collected just under $150 in contributions and spent roughly $1,700 on the campaign. His end balance was just more than $36.
Salasek won the election.
Marshall County Sheriff
In the race for sheriff, Republican candidate Steve Hoffman reported having just under $2,500 cash on hand at the end of the previous reporting period.
In his campaign to that point, Hoffman had raised just more than $3,500, spending a little more than $1,000.
But after Oct. 15, Hoffman collected more than $3,800 in contributions, as well as $75 from an in-kind contribution while spending just more than $4,800 on the campaign. His ending balance was just under $1,500.
His opponent, independent candidate Randy Price, did not file any reports with the IECDB.
Hoffman won with with nearly three-fourths of the ballots cast — 11,266 votes to Price’s 3,898 votes.
On the internet
• For a complete breakdown of campaign contributions and expenditures for state senate and state house races, go to: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/search.aspx?d=statewide
• For a complete breakdown of campaign contributions and expenditures for county races, go to: https://webapp.iecdb.iowa.gov/PublicView/?d=county
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Contact Jeff Hutton at 641-753-6611 or jhutton@timesrepublican.com