LEWISTON – Public financing gave two Republican candidates for governor in Tuesday’s primary a healthy financial advantage over a third, who is relying on private contributions and loans to fund his campaign.
Former U.S. Rep. Dave Emery reported raising more than $159,000 for his campaign through June 1 in disclosure reports due Wednesday.
That wasn’t enough to achieve parity with state Sen. Peter Mills, R-Skowhegan, and state Sen. Chandler Woodcock, R-Farmington, who reported funding from the Maine Clean Election Act of $250,000 and $224,324, respectively.
Of his total, Emery reported raising about $48,000 in the period between April 26 and June 1. Emery also reported loaning his campaign $15,000 and having other unpaid obligations of $56,624.
Emery, Mills and Woodcock will face Republican primary voters Tuesday with the party’s nomination on the line.
On the expenditure side, the three reported spending most of what they had available.
Mills reported spending almost $137,000 between April 26 and June 1 and a total of $227,000 for the campaign. He reported having $22,900 in cash left.
Woodcock spent $164,000 during the same time and a total of almost $208,000, with just more than $16,000 left.
Emery, hampered by a lack of cash, has spent just $51,273 since April 26 and about $144,000 in total. He reported about $3,500 on hand.
Any major expenditure by the campaigns between now and Tuesday’s primary requires a new report to the state’s ethics commission and can be viewed online at: www.mainecampaignfinance.com.
Waiting for the winner is a field of candidates who qualified for November’s gubernatorial ballot, including incumbent Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, the undisputed fundraising champion so far this year.
Baldacci, who faces only a nominal primary challenge from Chris Miller of Gray, reported raising more than $187,000 for this period and spending more than $300,000. He reported a cash balance of almost $46,000. Baldacci has raised more than $570,000 for his campaign so far and has spent about $525,000. Those totals do not include money raised Monday during a fundraising visit by former President Bill Clinton.
Green Independent Pat LaMarche, who qualified for public financing, reported spending nearly $145,000 for the period. She has about $55,000 in cash.
Independent candidates for governor David Jones, Barbara Merrill and John Michael also filed campaign disclosure reports. They are awaiting certification to determine if they will qualify for public financing of their campaigns.
Merrill reported raising $3,329 in seed money and spending the same amount.
Michael raised $10,000 in seed money and spent about $8,050, leaving $1,950 in cash.
Jones raised $800 and spent $926. For the campaign, he’s raised $3,000 and spent $1,650. He has $1,350 in cash and unpaid debts of $785.
Mills and Woodcock qualified for public funding of their campaigns by collecting 2,500 $5 contributions to the Maine Clean Election Fund. In addition to an initial distribution from the fund of $200,000 for the Republican primary, each candidate was allowed to raise up to $50,000 in seed money, which accounts for the difference in their beginning balance between the two.
Publicly financed candidates will have access to an initial $400,000 for the general election and up to $800,000 more in matching contributions if another candidate or independent expenditures exceed the spending limit.
Comments are no longer available on this story