Ken Bennett needs 900 contributions to earn Clean Elections funding

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With just three weeks to go before the primary election, Ken Bennett still needs 900 contributions to qualify for funding from the Clean Elections Commission.

In a letter to Clean Elections Executive Director Tom Collins on Monday, the Republican challenger to Gov. Doug Ducey said his campaign has 3,100 qualifying contributions on hand.

Gubernatorial candidates must collect 4,000 of the $5 qualifying contributions to qualify for $839,704 in primary funding, and can also collect up to $58,810 worth of seed money in $160 increments.

Bennett’s campaign manager, Christine Bauserman, said the campaign is disappointed that it’s behind on its goal, but she’s convinced Bennett will still qualify for public funding. She could not provide a date for when the campaign is likely to turn in its contributions.

Bauserman previously said that the campaign’s plan was to qualify for public financing by July 26 so they could get Bennett’s name out there before early ballots went out on Aug. 1.

Lots of Bennett’s Clean Elections forms are still out there, now it’s just a matter of hustling to get them back and turn them in, Bauserman said.

“We’re working hard at it,” she said.

Clean Elections candidates can collect $5 contributions through August 21, and can submit them to qualify for funding through the day of the August 28 primary.

Should Bennett qualify for Clean Elections funding, his campaign plans to spend the money on mailers and radio advertisements.

But even without the public financing to help get Bennett’s name out there, a lot of people already know who he is and like what he’s pitching, Bauserman said.

“When somebody’s unfavorables are as high as Ducey’s and his favorables as low, a lot of people see Ken Bennett. Ken has name ID. Everybody knows who Ken is,” she said.

Ducey’s campaign declined to comment. Ducey had $3.5 million on hand at the end of the last campaign finance reporting period. Bennett reported collecting 1,130 of the $5 contributions by the end of June, according to his latest campaign finance report.

Ducey’s campaign is already looking past Bennett to the general election.

“I think the record that I have as a governor, as a Republican who won that primary four years ago is one we can be proud of,” Ducey said last week. “With that, people will make a decision on the 28th, but we’re looking forward to Nov. 6.”