ARIZONA NEWS

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona crushing Republican field in fundraising

Feb 2, 2022, 4:45 AM

Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, left, has a sizable fundraising lead over his top GOP competitors, c...

Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, left, has a sizable fundraising lead over his top GOP competitors, clockwise from top right, Blake Masters, Mick McGuire, Mark Brnovich and Jim Lamon. (Twitter Profile Photos)

(Twitter Profile Photos)

PHOENIX – Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly entered this election year with a larger war chest than Arizona’s five Republican hopefuls combined, according to fourth-quarter Federal Election Commission reports.

The incumbent racked up nearly $9 million in contributions over the last three months of 2021 – his second consecutive quarter with more than $8 million – and had more than $18.6 million cash on hand. Kelly’s campaign spent about $3.3 million from October through December and doesn’t have to worry about a primary contest.

The entire Republican field, meanwhile, entered 2022 with under $9 million cash on hand.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has been the top-polling GOP Senate candidate, but he trails two political newcomers in the money race.

Deep-pocketed businessman Jim Lamon reported the most cash on hand among Republicans at nearly $6 million after adding about $3.2 million last quarter, although his campaign has been largely self-funded.

Of the $8.5 million he’s piled up since entering the race, $8 has come out of his own pocket, including a $3 million loan in the most recent filing. Lamon’s campaign spent under $900,000 last quarter.

Venture capitalist Blake Masters took in more than $1.5 million and spent about $600,000 last quarter, leaving him with over $1.8 million cash on hand.

Masters also has the backing of Saving Arizona PAC, a super PAC funded by his billionaire associate Peter Thiel. About $6.6 million of the Thiel’s $10 million contribution was still unspent heading into 2022.

Brnovich may have a name recognition advantage, but he’s only third in the Republican funding chase. He spent more than two-thirds of the approximately $811,000 he took in last quarter, leaving him with close to $770,000 cash on hand.

Mick McGuire, a retired Air Force major general and former leader of the Arizona National Guard, was the only candidate to see his war chest shrink in the fourth quarter. He took in about $270,000 while spending $360,000, leaving him with about $225,000 cash on hand.

Arizona Corporation Commissioner Justin Olson, a latecomer to the GOP race, made his first FEC filing. He reported raising approximately $225,000 and spending about $33,000 in the fourth quarter, leaving him with over $191,000 cash on hand.

Brnovich was the top choice among 25% of the Republican voters surveyed in a recent poll by OH Predictive Insights, with McGuire, at 11%, the only other candidate in double digits. However, 47% were still undecided.

The poll also showed Kelly with a 42%-38% lead when matched up against a generic Republican candidate.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

Antwaun Ware received a life sentence for killing Jasmine Dunbar in 2018....

Kevin Stone

Man who killed woman, left baby on side of West Valley road in 2018 gets life sentence

A man who killed his ex-girlfriend and abandoned her baby on the side of a West Valley road in 2018 was sentenced to life in prison.

48 minutes ago

Silver Alert issued for 68-year-old man last seen in Phoenix...

KTAR.com

Silver Alert canceled after missing 68-year-old Valley man returns home

A Silver Alert was canceled after a missing 68-year-old man named Gregory Wascher who was last seen on Wednesday returned home on Friday.

3 hours ago

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase....

Kevin Stone

Here’s why APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase

APS energy customers will soon see another rate increase after state regulators signed off on a proposed adjustment this week.

3 hours ago

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning...

Kevin Stone

Man dead after house fire in Phoenix’s Arcadia neighborhood

A man died after being pulled from a house fire in Phoenix's Arcadia neighborhood on Friday morning, authorities said.

4 hours ago

off-road vehicle crash...

Kevin Stone

1 teen killed, another seriously injured in off-road vehicle crash at Phoenix canal

One teenager was killed and another was seriously injured in an off-road vehicle crash at a Phoenix canal on Thursday evening, authorities said.

5 hours ago

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from sc...

Balin Overstolz

Chronic absentee rate for Arizona students remains far above pre-pandemic level, study finds

A new report found one-third of Arizona public grade school students are chronically absent from school, which is double the absence rate before the pandemic.

7 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

The UPS Store

How The UPS Store is giving back to the community

PHOENIX -- As 2024 nears a close, The UPS Store is looking to give back to the Arizona community with the holiday season approaching.

...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus: Spreading holiday cheer through pickleball

Phoenix, AZ – Sanderson Ford, a staple in the Arizona community, is once again gearing up for its annual Operation Santa Claus charity drive.

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona crushing Republican field in fundraising