Judicial campaign expensive

Attorney Rami Amaro spent $57,216, including nearly $48,000 of her own money, on her failed attempt to unseat 1st District Judge John T. Mitchell in last month’s primary election.

Mitchell spent just more than $50,000, including about $11,000 of his money. He won with 65 percent of the vote.

Each candidate spent more than all three candidates combined in the only other contested judicial race in the state.

Campaign reports listing how much candidates raised and spent in the spring campaign were due Thursday. Kootenai County Commissioners Katie Brodie and Gus Johnson, who both lost re-election bids, also outspent their opponents.

Brodie had nearly three times as much cash – $23,695 – as her opponent in the May Republican primary. Challenger Rich Piazza, unopposed in the November general election, said previously that his victory showed that voters weren’t interested in who had the largest war chest.

Piazza raised $9,724, including $1,491 still in the bank. The largest donation on this report was $500 from Coeur d’Alene Paving.

Brodie’s report shows she spent all her money, including two checks to Savvy Marketing that total $19,560. She received a $200 contribution from the Idaho Association of Realtors on the day of the May 23 election.

Johnson collected just over $16,000 and outspent opponent Todd Tondee, but not by much. Tondee, who won with 59 percent of the vote, raised nearly $15,500.

He spent $11,659 on his campaign. About $5,000 of that was a personal loan. He will face Independent Tom Macy in November.

Johnson received $1,000 contributions from each of three members of the Jacklin grass seed family, developer Stephen Ridenour and the Idaho Association of Realtors. The Coeur d’Alene Tribe gave Johnson $950.

Concerned Business of North Idaho gave Tondee $1,000.

Here’s what candidates raised and spent in other races:

“Incumbent State Sen. Mike Jorgenson had nearly four times as much money as defeated opponent Kent Bailey in the District 3 Republican primary. Bailey, who had several contributions less than $50 each, spent all of the $4,681 he raised. Jorgenson raised $9,228 in addition to the $13,114 he already had in the bank.

The Potlatch Corp. and Waterford Park Homes LLC each gave Jorgenson $1,000. Several political action committees also gave the senator $1,000 contributions.

Jorgenson has just over $700 left in his account.

“Republican State Rep. Jim Clark raised just over $15,000 and spent most of it in his successful primary bid. His challenger in District 3, Jeri DeLange, had just over $8,000, including $3,114 she donated to her campaign. Her largest donation was $500 from a political action committee.

Clark has seven $1,000 contributions, including ones from Aladdin Bail Bonds, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Micron Technologies.

“Republican State Rep. Phil Hart used $13,356 of his own money in his campaign, for a total of $22,456. That was added to the $2,605 Hart had remaining from his successful attempt to unseat Wayne Meyer in the last election. Meyer, who tried to reclaim the District 3 seat and failed, raised and spent more than $10,000.

In the judge’s race, Amaro’s largest contributors included Stewart and Mary Butler, parents of murder victim Brendan Butler. The Butlers were unhappy with Mitchell’s sentencing of their son’s killer, they said in previous interviews.

Hayden Mayor Ron McIntire and his wife, JoAnn, each gave Amaro $1,000 contributions. The McIntires also spent more than $3,000 on ads endorsing Amaro.

Hayden resident Robert Siegwarth, a client and friend of Amaro, gave her $1,000. He also gave nearly $8,500 to the PAC he heads, Citizens Promoting Judicial Accountability.

The PAC spent more than $17,000 on ads supporting Amaro and opposing Mitchell.

Mitchell had numerous contributions from local attorneys as well as a couple judges and retired judges. Car dealer Dave Smith and the CEO of Coldwater Creek were among those giving $1,000 to the judge’s campaign.

“The amount of money spent by the candidates is more than I’ve heard has been spent in other races for similar positions,” said Barry McHugh, a Coeur d’Alene attorney and treasurer for Mitchell’s campaign.

Though she lost with just over a third of the votes, Amaro said Thursday that she has no regrets and might someday run for judge again.

“For years and years I’ve sat back and listened to people complain, attorneys and nonattorneys, about the judicial system, how it’s not working and what needs fixed,” she said. “Nobody will stand up and do anything about it.”