Campaign Finance Report
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Issue Brief Better Idaho is a communication and research platform designed to keep government transparent and information flowing freely by monitoring compliance with open records laws, improving access to campaign finance information, and creating a direct communication bridge between Idahoans and their elected officials. For more information about this brief, please contact: Derek Farr Executive Director Better Idaho [email protected] 304.904.1990 (cell) Abstract Looking at campaign finance reports filed by Idaho legislative candidates in the 2014 election cycle, something becomes very obvious: a lot of money flows into Idaho politics from out of state. A closer look, however, reveals an even more surprising pattern. Very few campaign contributions to legislative candidates actually come from voters within that candidate’s legislative district. Better Idaho sought to quantify that pattern by evaluating every campaign contribution to each member of the House State Affairs Committee in 2014. Those contributions were analyzed to determine which came from the legislator’s district. It was also determined whether the contribution came from an average citizen or a lobbyists, corporation, political action committees or advocacy group. The House State Affairs Committee is often the first hurdle for any campaign finance reformation bills, hence its members were chosen for this analysis. Overview Only 37.59 percent of the voting-age population cast a ballot in the 2014 General Election. A common theory says cynicism is a major factor contributing to low turnout. The theory is that citizens feel the game is rigged, or that their vote doesn’t really count, therefore, they need not bother casting a ballot. A plethora of outside money is often seen as the contributing cause. Are those disenfranchised voters correct? Is there a reason to be cynical? Better Idaho can’t make that determination through this analysis; however, the numbers speak for themselves. Campaign Finance Sources of the House State Affairs Committee
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Better Idaho analyzed the campaign finance reports from all members of the House State Affairs Committee in 2014. Here are the results.
Transcript of Campaign Finance Report
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Issue Brief
Better Idaho is a communication and research platform designed to keep government transparent and information flowing freely by monitoring compliance with open records laws, improving access to campaign finance information, and creating a direct communication bridge between Idahoans and their elected officials.
For more information about this brief, please contact:
Derek FarrExecutive DirectorBetter [email protected] (cell)
Abstract Looking at campaign finance reports filed by Idaho legislative candidates in the 2014 election cycle, something becomes very obvious: a lot of money flows into Idaho politics from out of state.
A closer look, however, reveals an even more surprising pattern. Very few campaign contributions to legislative candidates actually come from voters within that candidates legislative district.
Better Idaho sought to quantify that pattern by evaluating every campaign contribution to each member of the House State Affairs Committee in 2014. Those contributions were analyzed to determine which came from the legislators district.
It was also determined whether the contribution came from an average citizen or a lobbyists, corporation, political action committees or advocacy group.
The House State Affairs Committee is often the first hurdle for any campaign finance reformation bills, hence its members were chosen for this analysis.
Overview Only 37.59 percent of the voting-age population cast a ballot in the 2014 General Election. A common theory says cynicism is a major factor contributing to low turnout. The theory is that citizens feel the game is rigged, or that their vote doesnt really count, therefore, they need not bother casting a ballot. A plethora of outside money is often seen as the contributing cause.
Are those disenfranchised voters correct? Is there a reason to be cynical? Better Idaho cant make that determination through this analysis; however, the numbers speak for themselves.
Campaign Finance Sources of the House
State Affairs Committee
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Findings The overwhelming majority of campaign contributions in the 2014 elections cycle came from out-of-district contributors, while less than 20 percent of campaign contributions were from within a lawmakers district.
Significance The influence of outside special interest groups conflicts with our ideas of representative government. Lawmakers are elected from geographic areas, ostensively to represent the people in those areas, but when $8 out of every $10 of campaign contributions comes from outside special interests, the interests of average constituents loses its primacy.
Findings A majority of contributions are not made by average citizens - a person who is eligible to vote - rather, they are coming from special interest groups, lobbyists, corporations, political action committees and advocacy groups.
Significance Money buys access to legislators. While the average citizen only has one vote to influence his/her lawmaker, out-of-district entities have thousands of dollars invested to insure access to elected officials, many of whom have dissimilar interests to a lawmakers constituency. If cynicism of the system was the goal, it would be hard to create a better system.
In 2014, there was a rough correlation between the number of contributions and dollar amounts.
Analysis of 2014 State affairs campaign finance
Idaho House State Affairs CommitteeCampaign Contributions in 2014
The Good News
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3Committee members with zero contributions from average citizens: Andrus
BattHoltzclawPalmer
Better Idaho
Nearly one quarter of the House State Affairs Committee received no contributions from average citizens in 2014. Only three received at least half of their total from average citizens.
Both parties receive a majority of their money from out-of-district contributors in 2014.
The Bad News
Percent of campaign dollars from average citizens
Comparison of in-district and out-of district contributions
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Total money raised = $159,140 Total committee members = 13
Analysis of 2014 State affairs campaign finance
Total money raised = $109,112 Total committee members = 4
Findings The three committee members with lowest percentage of in-district contributions were GOP Reps. Batt, Luker and Holtzclaw, who received 0, 2.39, and 2.56 percent respectively. Of those three, Batt ran unopposed, Luker had a general election opponent, and Holtzclaw faced a third-party general election opponent.
The three highest in-district percentages belonged to GOP Rep. Cheatham, and Democratic Reps. Wintrow and Jordan with 50, 49.49, and 33.24 percent respectively. Cheatham was opposed in the primary. Jordan was opposed in the general election and Wintrow had a primary opponent.
There was no correlation between having an opponent and the percentage of out-of-district money.
Findings The most noteworthy revelation of this analysis is that nearly one-quarter of committee members received no money from average citizens. Reps. Andrus, Batt, Holtzclaw and Palmer, all GOP, received zero contributions from average citizens.
When committee member contributions are combined, neither party received a majority from average citizens. However, three committee members received 50 percent or more. Democratic Reps. Wintrow and McCrostie and GOP Rep. Cheatham had 76.29, 71.69, and 50 percent respectively.
The average contribution to Democrats on the committee was $205 while the average contribution to Republicans was $337. Democrats raised $27,285 per committee member, Republicans $12,241.
By Party: Republicans
By Party: Democrats
Idaho House State Affairs CommitteeCampaign Contributions in 2014
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5Don Cheatham (R) Dist. 3
Total Contributions $2,000
In-district Contributions 50%
From individual citizen 50%
Better Idaho
Vito Barbieri (R) Dist. 2
Total Contributions $12,500
In-district Contributions 12.40%
From individual citizen 8.8%
Kathleen Sims (R) Dist. 4
Total Contributions $16,400
In-district Contributions 19.82%
From individual citizen 18.6%
Paulette Jordan (D) Dist. 5
Total Contributions $45,341
In-district Contributions 41.10%
From individual citizen 31.98%
Shannon McMillan (R) Dist. 7
Total Contributions $12,750
In-district Contributions 9.02%
From individual citizen 8.63%
Gayle Batt (R) Dist. 11
Total Contributions $8,400
In-district Contributions 0%
From individual citizen 0%
Brent Crane (R) Dist. 13
Total Contributions $24,450
In-district Contributions 5.52%
From individual citizen 1.84%
Lynn Luker (R) Dist. 15
Total Contributions $12,550
In-district Contributions 2.39%
From individual citizen 7.97%
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Analysis of 2014 State affairs campaign financeAnalysis of 2014 State affairs campaign finance
Joe Palmer (R) Dist. 20
Total Contributions $12,240
In-district Contributions 7.35%
From individual citizen 0%
James Holtzclaw (R) Dist. 20
Total Contributions $7,800
In-district Contributions 2.56%
From individual citizen 0%
Pete Nielsen (20) Dist. 23
Total Contributions $9,700
In-district Contributions 22.68%
From individual citizen 2.06%
Ken Andrus (R) Dist. 28
Total Contributions $9,650
In-district Contributions 15.54%
From individual citizen 0%
Elaine Smith (D) Dist. 29
Total Contributions $10,515
In-district Contributions 22.84%
From individual citizen 4.99%
Thomas Loertscher (R) Dist. 32
Total Contributions $21,800
In-district Contributions 15.83%
From individual citizen 10%
John McCrostie (D) Dist. 16
Total Contributions $35,502
In-district Contributions 16.14%
From individual citizen 71.69%
Melissa Wintrow (D) Dist. 19
Total Contributions $17,754
In-district Contributions 49.49%
From individual citizen 76.29%
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7www.BetterIdaho.org
Discussion The steady decline of voter participation in the past 30 years is a trend that has not been stopped nor reversed by an increase of money in our elections. In fact, the more money that pours into politics, the fewer people bother casting ballots.
Regardless, it is crucial for the long-term vitality of our government that citizens vote. Participation is the essence of democracy.
It is possible that limiting out-of-district political contributions and/or establishing a ratio of contributions from average citizens versus special interest groups could encourage politicians to spend less time seeking large donors and more time interacting with his or her constituents.
While there is no guarantee these measures would affect voter turnout, the alternative would be accepting that nearly one quarter of the House State Affairs Committee received no contributions from average citizens during the 2014 election year. That simple fact creates cynicism in a system that doesnt need any additional cynicism.
Linden Bateman (R) Dist. 33
Total Contributions $8,900
In-district Contributions 22.75%
From individual citizen 7.05%
Better Idaho
