Independent Gov. Bill Walker has raised the most money of any candidate running for governor this year. He also has the most cash on hand. But each of the other major candidates for governor can point to their own strengths in the latest campaign disclosures.
Walker’s campaign had raised $498,000 through Friday.
Campaign manager John-Henry Heckendorn noted that Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott has raised another $257,000. Counting the money they’ve spent, it leaves the ticket with $445,000 in cash on hand.
“You see donations from 3,800 Alaskans – Democrats, Republicans, independents – from Kotzebue to Ketchikan, quite literally, and that’s more than any other candidate or even potential candidate team in the race,” Heckendorn said.
But Democrat and former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich has been raising money faster than Walker since he entered the race. He has $96,000 in cash on hand.
Begich said he feels good about how much he’s raised in seven weeks.
“At the end of the day, we knew we were going to be outraised, and will continue, I’m sure they’ll outraise me, but we’re going to outwork ‘em by the work we do on the ground, by talking to voters and ensuring that we talk about the issues that people care about,” Begich said.
Republican candidate Mike Dunleavy has raised the second-most of the candidates. He’s also spent the most, so his cash on hand is lower, at $43,000. An independent expenditure group supporting Dunleavy has $42,000 on hand.
Dunleavy campaign manager Brett Huber noted Dunleavy leads in the polls. And Huber said the former state senator will be holding several campaign events that will add to his fundraising totals this week.
“I think Mike’s message is resounding with people,” Huber said. “I think that people have responded nicely. And I see it continuing down that road.”
Former Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell also is competing for the Republican nomination. He raised $113,000 since he entered the race at the filing deadline, and has $71,000 cash on hand.
Treadwell campaign manager Mike Robbins said the campaign feels pretty good about its fundraising success.
“We just got into the race June 1, and so we haven’t had six months to raise money as our competitor has,” Robbins said.
No other Republican candidate for governor has raised as much as $10,000 this year.
The candidates’ fundraising has been eclipsed by the campaign for Ballot Measure 1, which increases protections for salmon and other fish that migrate to spawn in Alaska’s rivers. Opponents of the initiative have raised $9 million. Supporters have raised just $1 million.
The reports were required 30 days before the Aug. 21 primary.
Andrew Kitchenman is the state government and politics reporter for Alaska Public Media and KTOO in Juneau. Reach him at akitchenman@alaskapublic.org.
