Two Idaho legislative challengers outraise incumbents

BOISE - In the hard-fought GOP primary races in North Idaho’s legislative District 2, campaign finance reports show that challengers have out-raised two of the three incumbents, including tax-protesting Rep. Phil Hart. Hart has raised $6,738 for his campaign, while challenger Ed Morse has raised more than twice as much - $16,479 - and challenger Fritz Wiedenhoff has raised $7,748. That GOP primary also includes Ron Vieselmeyer, who trails with $3,791. Hart also reports a $31,827 outstanding debt to himself. Meanwhile, GOP challenger Mark Fisher has outspent Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, a Hart ally, while former Sen. Mike Jorgenson has raised slightly less but spent more than Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, in their rematch race. Vick, a former Montana state representative, was recruited to run by Hart two years ago, and defeated Jorgensen, then a third-term incumbent. The campaign finance reports filed this week are Idaho voters’ only chance to see who’s funding the various campaigns before next Tuesday’s primary election. Here are highlights of what North Idaho legislative candidates’ reports showed in contested races in Districts 2, 3 and 4: DISTRICT 2 SENATE Vick has raised $16,968, spent $3,347, and loaned his campaign $2,000; he had $13,622 left in the bank at the close of the reporting period on April 30. He received contributions from five individuals in his district, and received eight maximum $1,000 contributions, including from “Winning for Idaho,” the political arm of Coeur d’Alene Racing in Post Falls; Avista Corp.; Regan Properties; and Rep. Bob Nonini’s Idaho Association for Good Government. Vick also received $250 each from the Free Enterprise PAC and Idaho Land PAC, and $1,600 from Senate GOP leaders, including $1,000 from the Senate Republican PAC. Jorgenson has raised $14,102, spent $11,135, and loaned his campaign $7,050, which, combined with outstanding debt from earlier campaigns, bring his total debt to himself to $25,569. He received contributions from six individuals in the district, and received four maximum $1,000 contributions, from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Avondale Dental Center, Idaho Hospital Association PAC and Potlatch Corp. HOUSE SEAT A Barbieri raised $10,330, spent $4,331, and loaned his campaign $500. He received three contributions from individuals in the district, and received two maximum $1,000 donations, from Idaho Land PAC and Winning for Idaho. Barbieri also received a $150 donation from former Rep. Jim Clark and $250 from the Free Enterprise PAC. Fisher raised $12,910, spent $7,507, and loaned his campaign $8,050. He received 10 contributions from individuals in his district, and his largest donations were $1,000 from Idaho Forest Group and $750 from Idaho Realtors PAC. He also received $500 donations from Empire Airlines, Clearwater Paper, Idaho Loggers PAC and Blue Cross of Idaho. HOUSE SEAT B Hart raised $6,738, spent $5,833, and loaned his campaign another $1,160 since Jan. 1, for a total outstanding campaign debt to himself of $31,827. He received four contributions from individuals in his district, and his largest contributions were a $1,000 in-kind donation from Spartac, the consulting firm run by Boise political consultant Lou Esposito; and $500 each from Winning for Idaho and Lorna Finman of Rathdrum. Morse raised $16,479, spent $6,635, and loaned his campaign $10,000, though that outstanding loan amount hasn’t increased since Jan. 1. He received 26 donations from named individuals in his district, and received maximum $1,000 contributions from Idaho Forest Group and Dennis Swartout of Spokane. Morse received $750 from the Idaho Realtors PAC, and got nine $500 contributions from donors ranging from Gary Schneidmiller of Post Falls to Clearwater Paper. Wiedenhoff raised $8,748 and spent $5,540. He received donations from five named individuals in the district, and received three maximum $1,000 donations, from the Pocatello Firefighters, the International Association of Firefighters, and the Professional Firefighters of Idaho PAC. Wiedenhoff, who is a firefighter, received 10 donations from firefighters’ groups around the state totaling $4,450, just over half his campaign finances. Vieselmeyer raised $1,914, including a $500 loan he made to his campaign, and spent $1,877. Other than his personal loan, his campaign funds came from two individuals and one business in North Idaho: Marvin Miller of Coeur d’Alene, Shelley and Betty Woodard of Coeur d’Alene, and Eric Redman & Co. of Rathdrum. DISTRICT 3 HOUSE SEAT A Ron Mendive raised $7,707, including $3,590 he contributed himself, and spent $7,049. He received nine contributions from named individuals in the district, and received maximum $1,000 contributions from four people: Craig Heilman, Mitchell Wright and Randy Holte of Coeur d’Alene, and Lorna Finman of Rathdrum. Jeff Tyler raised $8,771, including $6,500 he loaned to his campaign, and spent $7,882. His biggest donations were $500 each from the Idaho PAC and the Idaho Loggers PAC, and $300 from Rep. Bob Nonini’s Idaho Association for Good Government. He also received $200 from Ronald and Christine Muth of Liberty Lake, and $100 from IDABank PAC state fund. HOUSE SEAT B Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, raised $23,062, including $11,841 raised since Jan. 1, and spent $12,560. He received four donations from named individuals in his district, and four maximum $1,000 contributions, from the Jim Hammond Campaign, the Fred Wood Campaign, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and Winning for Idaho. Jack Schroeder raised $4577, all in the form of loans from himself, and spent $3,225. He reported no contributions, $1,351 in cash on hand and $6,547 in outstanding campaign debt. DISTRICT 4 HOUSE SEAT A Luke Malek raised $11,045, loaned his campaign $1,247, and spent $6,438. He received 18 contributions from named individuals in Kootenai County. Malek received four $500 contributions, from the Idaho PAC, Idaho Loggers PAC, Idaho Power Co., and Duane Hagadone’s Idaho Committee on Hospitality and Sports. Among his smaller contributions was $250 each from current House 4A Rep. Marge Chadderdon, R-Coeur d’Alene, and from Avista Corp. Jeff Ames raised $100 in a single contribution from Courtenay Ellison of Post Falls, and reported that he hadn’t spent a penny by April 29, leaving $100 in his campaign fund.