OGDEN — Recent campaign finance reports revealed an influx of cash to Weber County candidates who are running unopposed, which prompts the question why donors give to recipients who lack the need to actively campaign.Read up, folks:
“If the candidate doesn’t face an expensive race and is running unopposed, it’s hard to believe that money to that candidate won’t give some sort of special access once they’re serving,” said Jenn Gonnelly, co-president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of Utah,
Surprise of surprises. Unopposed candidates on our November 4 Weber County ballots are reeling in cash contributions like madmen, despite the fact that their 2014 campaigns are absolute slam-dunks.
County Commissioner Kerry Gibson's 2014 campaign finance disclosure report illustrates one instance of this weird phenomenon, although Ms. McKitrick also provides numerous other examples of this surprising 2014 election campaign twist:
Ms. McKitrick has done a bang up job in opening the door to a discussion of 2014 Weber County Election campaign finance. Accordingly, we're delighted to be able to offer our gentle WCF readers a little something more. In that connection, we'll again provide the link to our robust online pre-election candidate cheat-sheet, which includes all campaign finance disclosures from all candidates who'll appear on Tuesday's (11/4/14) ballots. Check it out, political wonks:No one from any political party mounted a challenge this year to Republican incumbent Kerry Gibson, who will sail to a second term as Weber County commissioner this November. The former state lawmaker’s Oct. 28 report — the first he’s been required to file this year — showed that he started with a fund balance of $13,302 and brought in $12,650 in donations throughout 2014.
Gibson’s largest donations include $5,000 from a political action committee called Preserve Ogden Valley, two $1,500 contributions from Randall Moulding and a business called AFC Tanks, and $1,000 from Staker Parsons, a six-decades-old sand, rock and concrete company.And what's the motivation for this? Why do unopposed candidates solicit and accept campaign donation whilst running unopposed?
“Usually people spend money on campaigns to get a return on their investment, but they don’t waste their money,” said Leah Murray, an associate professor in political science at Weber State University.
“I don’t know if you’re buying influence so much as access,” Murray added. “If you want to make sure they take your call, you give.”
We invite you to open the link and prowl around a little bit. folks. You'll be amazed how many individuals and entities are pouring out the dough for that "precious insider access" [Wink].
