November candidates bring in the cash

Campaign contributions and expenditures ran high during the Nov. 2 election as finance reports show candidates raised more than $300,000 to win the public's vote. 

Idaho statutes regulate campaign finances through disclosure regulations found in Idaho Code Title 67, Chapter 66 — better known as the Sunshine Law. Chief Deputy Secretary of State Chad Houck said the rules aim to maintain transparency about where political funding is coming from and how it is spent.  

Once local candidates raise $500, they must file monthly reports with the Secretary of State's Office. Their transactions are published online for public viewing and allow individuals to search by candidate's name, contributor's name, political action committee or expenditure. 

Online data shows the candidate with the most contributions was newly elected Coeur d'Alene Mayor Jim Hammond, who raised a whopping $25,333.44.

While $25,000 is a somewhat staggering number for a local election, Houck said the cost of campaigning is climbing statewide. 

"We saw over $3 million spent on the governor's race in the last primary election, and that was unprecedented four years ago," Houck said. 

Coeur d'Alene City Councilwoman Kiki Miller is close behind Hammond, with $25,068.36. 

Internal Secretary of State's Office forecasting estimates that smaller, local-level races could spend two to three times more this year than in the past, Houck said. The rising costs of funding a campaign present another challenge. 

"It creates a tremendous barrier for entry for otherwise qualified candidates to step into a race and be competitive," Houck said. "That limits the types of candidates we're getting in terms of representation for the people."

Here is a breakdown from Kootenai County's high profile races, according to the Idaho Secretary of State online Campaign Finance Portal:

• C: Contributions, E: Expenditures 

COEUR D’ALENE MAYOR

Joe Alfieri, C: $16,292.11, E: $10,531.32

Michael Lentz, C: $5,135.92, E: $5,135.92 

Jim Hammond, C: $25,333.44, E: $17,197.66

COEUR D’ALENE CITY COUNCIL 

Seat 2

Amy Evans, C: $17,689.64, E: $12,436.56

Morgan Dixon, C: $1,400, E: $835.78

Roger Garlock, C: $9,663, E: $5,760.06

Seat 4

JD Claridge, C: $11,694.86, E: $10,365.43

Grayson Cross, C: $563.79, E: $563.79

Woody McEvers, C: $4,774.95, E: $1,804.85

Seat 6

Kiki Miller, C: $25,068.36, E: $25,068.36

Elaine Price, C: $17,534.44, E: $12,131.09

COEUR D’ALENE SCHOOL BOARD

Zone 1

Allie Anderton, C: $19,504.06, E: $13,812.37

Lisa May, C: $17,250.42, E: $1,587.08

Zone 4

Lesli Bjerke, C: $17,171.76, E: $8,461.45

Lindsey Swingrover, C: $13,334.58, E: $8,923.32

Zone 5

Rebecca Smith, C: $11,414.34, E: $7,582.47

Glen Campbell, C: $12,493.93, E: $8,784.45

POST FALLS MAYOR

Ron Jacobson, C: $11,615, E: $8,172.16

Austin Hildebrand, C: $937.79, E: $937.79

POST FALLS CITY COUNCIL 

Seat 2

Alan Wolfe, C: $2,659.72, E: $2,210.73

Josh Walker, none reported 

Seat 4

Steve Anthony, C: $7,222, E: $7,195.65

Nathan Ziegler, none reported 

Bob Flowers, C: $500, E: $500

Seat 6

Linda Wilhelm, C: $11,050, E: $8,428.82 

Kenny Shove, C: $8,421.33, E: $8,421.33

Eric Klinkhammer, none reported 

Tara Polley, none reported 

POST FALLS SCHOOL BOARD 

Zone 1

Guy McAninch, C: $1,175, E: $981.16

Neil Uhrig, C: $2,316.15, E: $2,316.15

Zone 4

Bridget Malek, none reported

Logan Creighton, C: $2,040.11, E: $1,240.34

Zone 5 

Jake Dawson, C: $2,372.99, E: $2,272.83

David Reilly, C: $7,615.56, E: $6,121.11

HAYDEN CITY COUNCIL 

Seat 2

Richard ‘Dick’ Panabaker, C: $1,957.30, E: $1,913.81

Nicole Barnett, C: $2,655, E: $2,655

Ed DePriest, C: $6,113.46, E: $4,947.60

Seat 4

Sandy White, C: $6,083.21, E: $5,084.74

Jeri DeLange, C: $3,349, E: $1,368.68

RATHDRUM CITY COUNCIL

Seat 1

Neil Oliver, C: $1,814.73, E: $638.00

Darrell Rickard, C: $1,600.00, E: $744.82

Yevgeniy Pinchuk, none reported

Seat 3

Micheal Fox, C: $1,122.93, E: $1,122.93

Kurt Schwab, C: $3,619.80, E: $3,619.80

John Hodgkins, none reported 

LAKELAND JOINT SCHOOL BOARD 

Zone 4

Mark Worthen, C: $2,939, E: $2,939

David Quimby, none reported

Zone 5

Robert F. Jones, C: $2,560, E: $2,355.81

Debbie Major, C: $669.78, E: $669.78

Data: sos.idaho.gov/elections-division/campaign-finance-filing/