State Rep. Candidates' Campaign Contributions Examined
Posted
Daniel Riordan-driordan@timesuniononline.com
With money left over from 2011 and new contributions in 2012, one local state representative will have much more money than any challenger while another incumbent is nearly even with her primary foe.
Candidates for two local state representative races have provided their pre-primary campaign finance forms to the Secretary of State’s office.
In District 18, Republican incumbent Dave Wolkins and Democrat Chris Wright are both running unopposed.
For 2012, Wolkins has only taken in $300 in contributions but lists having $19,121.96 on hand.
That $300 came in the form of a CenturyLink Political Action Committee donation.
In 2011, Wolkins took in $36,653 while spending $28,045.
Wolkins began 2011 with $10,514.63 on hand. Wolkins listed zero expenditures thus far for 2012.
In personal contributions, Wolkins’ largest donor was NK Hurst, Indianapolis, with $1,000.
Wolkins’ largest PAC contribution was from Miller’s Merry Manor PAC out of Warsaw.
In 2011, Wolkins spent $3,224 on a golf outing listed as a fundraiser at Inn on Wood Lake in Kohler, Wis. People who attended paid $500, said Wolkins.
Wolkins noted his fundraiser came a day after a state Democrat conference and they suggested that venue for a fundraiser.
Wolkins said it’s not uncommon for legislators to hold fundraisers out of state.
Another fundraising golf outing at Wabash’s Honeywell Golf Course cost $2,712.
In a nine-page report on itemized expenditures, Wolkins also lists that he took $4,005 in mileage reimbursement in 2011. Wolkins said he takes 50 cents per mile, which is below the federal rate of 55.5 cents per mile.
Wolkins also spent $1,635 on Indianapolis Colts tickets.
“I give some of them away. I gave some away to a youth group at a church. I gave a couple away at a golf outing,” said Wolkins. “I usually go to the games but if I don’t I usually give them away.”
Chris Wright is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination for the District 22 seat.
Wright reported receiving $424 in contributions in his pre-primary report and spending $218.
His report doesn’t show who his donors were, but he told the Times-Union that his spending thus far has been out-of-pocket.
All candidates will provide another report before the general election in November.
In the district 22 race, incumbent Republican Rebecca Kubacki is facing off with Jon Hare in the May 8 primary, and unlike other challengers, Hare has plenty of money in his coffers thanks to a particular PAC.
Hare reported in his pre-primary report to have $5,136 in donations and $3,712.90 in expenditures.
Hare had only one personal donation of $100 from Shannon Price, Milford.
He reported Indiana Lunch Pail Republicans PAC gave him $3,800.
Much of his other donations were in-kind donations of things like signs, business cards and t-shirts.
After his pre-primary report was field, a large contribution report and a supplemental report for Hare shows that the Indiana Lunch Pail Republicans PAC has given him an additional $28,500.
Earlier this year, it was reported the pro-union PAC was going to donate money to unseat who they perceive to be anti-union incumbents.
This came on the heels of Right To Work legislation in the state, which Kubacki voted for.
Kubacki reported receiving $5,845.52.
In 2012, she has spent $8,614 with the largest going to the House Republican Campaign Committee for $5,550. She also lists an in-kind contribution for the same amount to the committee.
She also received a $150 personal contribution from James Heyde, Rochester, for $150.
While Kubacki hasn’t done much fundraising, she said she doesn’t take the primary for granted.
Large contribution forms were filed Wednesday with the state for Kubacki.
Those forms are required for donations of $1,000 or more.
The state representative received $1,000 each from PACs for Indiana Merit Construction-Associated Building Contractors, AT&T Indiana and Indiana Manufacturers.
In her 20011 annual report, Kubacki reported spending $21,496.88
Kubacki received a total of $27,845.98 in contributions in 2011. She began the year with $21,596.38 on hand.
Kubacki didn’t take any mileage reimbursement.
She received 60 personal contributions with the largest being $500 from Richard Lundin, Syracuse.
Kubacki received 24 contributions from PACs, businesses and organizations in 2011. The largest came from Miller’s Merry Manor PAC out of Warsaw for $1,060.
Kubacki’s biggest expenditures in 2011 came in the form of a $5,000 contribution to Indiana House Republicans and $2,000 to Kosciusko County Republicans.
She also made several donations to organizations like Tri-Kappa, Head Start, Helping Hands America and Kosciusko County Right To Life.
An in-kind contribution from GOPAC-Indiana of $1,344.33 was also given by Kubacki.
Kubacki also spent $2,607.79 on a fundraising event through Champagne Jam in Warsaw and $2,516.20 from Flying Fish Catering in Winona Lake.
Flying Fish Catering is part of Cerulean Restaurant.
Kubacki hosts a Spine Awards event each year, and one of the fundraisers is when she hosted House Speaker Brian Bosma at her home, said Kubacki.
On the Democratic side, John Bonitati is running unopposed for his party’s nomination for the district 22 seat.
Bonitati has raised $1,695 in contributions leading up to the primary with expenditures of $982.
He received 16 personal contributions with the largest being $300 from Michael Bonitati, Orchard Park, N.Y.
Bonitati received one corporate donation from Air Time, Leesburg, for $25.
He said this morning that he may have to amend his pre-primary report due to donations he received after the deadline and his own donation to the campaign.
