The tooth is out there.
According to new campaign finance disclosure reports, Rep. Cathy Muñoz is enjoying the support of some of Juneau’s dentists, while her electoral opponent, Justin Parish, reported his biggest expense was a dentist’s devil: candy and snacks to pass out at Juneau’s Fourth of July Parade.
“Well, half of what I got were mandarin oranges,” Parish said by phone.
The latest figures posted by the Alaska Public Offices Commission indicate Muñoz’s campaign had, as of July 15, $24,154.13 available for her re-election race in House District 34, which covers the Mendenhall Valley. Parish, a newcomer to state politics, reported having $3,344.82 available to his campaign.
APOC requires candidates to disclose campaign and expenses 30 days, 7 days, and one day before an election. July 15 was 30 days before the Aug. 16 state primary.
Neither Muñoz nor Parish face challengers in the primary. Muñoz is running unopposed as a Republican and Parish is unopposed as a Democrat. Unless one withdraws from the race before the Nov. 8 general election, they will meet on that ballot.
Kito in detail
In House District 33, which includes Haines, Skagway and downtown Juneau, Rep. Sam Kito III is running unopposed for re-election. He nevertheless hasn’t stopped accepting campaign donations. Between Feb. 2 and July 15, his campaign reported accepting $3,701.46 in contributions, mostly from retirees and active state employees. His campaign’s largest single donation was $1,000 from the political action committee of the public employees’ union.
The campaign spent $2,661.95 between Feb. 2 and July 15, most of which was a $2,000 contribution to the Alaska Democratic Party’s coordinated statewide campaign.
“Every Democratic candidate is invited to participate in the coordinated campaign,” said Alaska Democratic Party spokesman Jake Hamburg. “Most choose to participate.”
Muñoz in detail
State ethics guidelines prohibit lawmakers from accepting campaign contributions while the Legislature is in session. If there’s a special session within 90 days of an election, lawmakers are allowed to raise money — but only away from the place a special session is taking place.
This year’s extraordinarily long regular session and multiple special sessions took place in Juneau, which meant that only Muñoz, Kito and Egan were affected by the restriction. Kito is running unopposed, and Egan does not face election this year.
Egan is not accepting campaign contributions, and both Kito and Muñoz have followed the contribution blackout restrictions, according to APOC filings.
Muñoz said by phone that she has not solicited donations and she has not held any fundraising events (some are planned for August).
The Muñoz campaign reported receiving $3,250 between Feb. 2 and July 15. All of the donations were received between June 25 and July 8, between the Legislature’s first and second special sessions this year.
Juneau-area dentists contributed $450, and the Dentists of Alaska Political Action Committee added another $1,000.
Greens Creek mine employees added another $1,000 in contributions.
The campaign reported $735.87 in expenses for website design, a booth at Gold Rush Days and campaign buttons.
Parish in detail
Unaffected by the fundraising blackout, Parish raised significantly more money than Muñoz between Feb. 2 and July 15. According to APOC filings, his campaign received $7,413.31 and spent $2,063.49, not counting $2,000 for the Democratic Party’s statewide coordinated campaign.
“I had a very nice fundraiser and had a lot of people reach out to me,” Parish said of his success.
Parish has contributed $500 to his own campaign, and a relative also contributed $500, but Parish’s campaign has benefited from a larger number of smaller contributions below the $500 per-person, per-year maximum permitted under Alaska law.
The Parish campaign’s largest single expense was $552.31 spent at Costco for “4th of July Parade candy and snacks,” but his campaign also reported reimbursing its treasurer $266.05 for filing expenses and office supplies. The campaign also benefited from an in-kind parade entry donation and contributed design services.
