Giffords leading fundraiser in race
by Blake Morlock on Oct. 17, 2006, under Elections, Local, SpecialDonations to her total $1.7M. Graf collects $773,782
Giffords
Former state Sen. Gabrielle Giffords continues to lead big in fundraising as she seeks a seat in Congress representing southeastern Arizona, and she appears to be spending the money as quickly as she is raising it.
According to federal campaign finance reports released Monday, Giffords raised $1.7 million as of Sept. 30, compared to Randy Graf’s $773,782.
Heading into the closing days of the campaign, Giffords had a cash-on-hand edge of $376,645 to $254,684 over Graf, a former state representative.
Independent candidate Jay Quick and Libertarian David Nolan have raised $70,000 combined.
These numbers show Giffords continues to draw strong financial support and Graf’s fundraising is picking up. But the reports are more than two weeks old – ancient for the last weeks leading up to an election.
The Graf campaign, for instance, raised another $200,000 since the last reporting period, said R.T. Gregg, Graf’s campaign manager.
“People are responding to our message and responding generously,” Gregg said.
Giffords’ people won’t confirm how much they’ve raised in October, but said donations are accelerating as the election nears.
The expenditure report also includes money paid for ads that may not have run.
It doesn’t include independent expenditures by outside groups trying to affect the election.
The Minuteman Civil Defense Corps PAC, for instance, announced its intention to spend as much as $250,000 to paint Giffords as an out-of-touch liberal.
But Giffords’ money will allow her to respond, said her campaign manager, Rodd McLeod.
“It says that we’re going to be able to get out our message and get out our votes and that’s even in the face of misleading ads that Randy and his out-of-state allies are polluting the airwaves (with),” McLeod said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, the electioneering arm of House Republicans, canceled its ads on behalf of Graf after polls showed him trailing Giffords by double figures. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee left town to focus on tighter races.
