Lamon’s generous spending while largely self-funding his own Senate campaign is an unusual approach that will soon face the test: GOP primary voters./campaign photo
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By Yvonne Wingett Sanchez | Arizona Republic
Republican U.S. Senate hopeful Jim Lamon is charting a course unlike any other in recent years.
The one-time energy business executive is throwing his wallet behind various lower-level Republican candidates, conservative groups and GOP organizations around the state while conspicuously tossing cash near former President Donald Trump, who indicated this week an endorsement is forthcoming in the wide-open race.
Lamon’s spending during the 2022 cycle is part of an effort to elevate the political profile of a man most people hadn’t heard of six months ago.
An Alabama native with ties to Utah, Lamon ran an Arizona-based solar energy company before its sale late last year to Koch Engineered Solutions. He launched his Senate campaign nearly a year ago as a Trump-aligned candidate who hopes to defeat Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., in the Nov. 8 general election.
Four other Republicans are seeking the GOP Senate nomination, but none of them is using their money to build their political presence like Lamon.
On top of the tens of thousands of dollars he has contributed to national congressional candidates and groups this election cycle, Lamon has donated at least $80,000 over the past two years to conservative statewide or legislative candidates from Snowflake to Yuma. The cash makes him a top donor in some of the lower-profile races.
Lamon has given an estimated $15,000 personally to Republican grassroots groups, not including the several thousands of dollars his campaign has paid in fees, event sponsorships and other contributions to those organizations, an Arizona Republic analysis of state campaign finance data shows.
In all, he has personally contributed an estimated $100,000 to those statewide candidates and groups since last year, The Republic found. His four GOP opponents have given a combined $7,430 to GOP candidates or groups.
Separately, before Lamon’s former company was sold, Depcom Power gave more than $670,000 to the state Republican Party and GOP groups from Maricopa, Coconino and Gila counties.
Lamon’s generous spending while largely self-funding his own Senate campaign is an unusual approach that will soon face the test: GOP primary voters.
