By Taylor Seely | Arizona Republic
The 16 candidates running for Phoenix City Council, combined, raised more than half a million dollars in recent months and are sitting on about $1.8 million in the bank.
They’re gearing up for the Nov. 8 election.
Candidates recently filed campaign finance reports that showed a highly competitive race for the open seat in District 6 and incumbents leading fundraising efforts in the three other races.
Campaign finance reports show:
- who donates to a candidate.
- how the candidate spent the funds.
- how much money they have left.
Fundraising doesn’t guarantee a candidate’s win or loss, but it can show who might be frontrunners.
Seven of the eight candidates running for the District 6 seat, currently held by term-limited Councilman Sal DiCiccio, raised at least $500 — the amount that triggers the reporting
requirement. Most raised tens of thousands of dollars.
Donations to candidates came largely from Arizona residents who gave $100 or more. Consultants, developers, attorneys and publicists were some of the most common givers.
Political action committees representing labor unions, carpenters and firefighters played a role, albeit a small one in the grand scheme.
One of the District 6 candidates drew support from well-known political candidates like Kari Lake, the former Fox 10 anchor who’s running for governor as a Trump-endorsed Republican, and Blake Masters, a Trump-endorsed Republican running for U.S. Senate .
