Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Leavitt has far outspent his opponents, the latest financial filings show, outdistancing his nearest rival, Republican Richard Eyre, nearly 2-to-1.
Leavitt, an insurance executive, has raised $799,500 and spent $787,931. It's the most that's ever been spent for a primary.Eyre comes in second, with contributions of $443,404 and expenditures of $435,388.
The Democrats trail badly in the money game. Stewart Hanson has raised $234,310 and spent $222,832, while Pat Shea has raised $131,862 and spent $133,781.
Thus, Leavitt, who leads Eyre in the latest polls among Republicans, has spent about six times more than Shea, who led Hanson among Democrats in the latest polls. The nearly $1.6 million total is the most spent in a gubernatorial primary election in Utah.
Leavitt has loaned his campaign $60,000 and has picked up about $40,400 more from relatives, family businesses and insurance agencies associated with his family insurance business - The Leavitt Group.
Eyre has loaned his campaign $20,700.
Hanson has loaned or given his campaign $26,800. Hanson's law firm has donated in-kind or given Hanson's campaign $45,100.
Shea has loaned his campaign $2,200.
Eyre has refused to take political action committee money - which he terms special interest giving - and has limited individual contributions to $500 and corporate contributions to $5,000. In an earlier financial report, Eyre had considerable in-kind contributions - more than $90,000 - which he didn't limit above those amounts. But in the latest filing, Eyre has very little in-kind contributions. Eyre says he's been spending much of his money on media buys, "I need cash for those."
Some of the largest single contributions come in Leavitt's and Shea's reports.
Leavitt has received contributions from Navitech of $21,800; the Utah Education Association, the largest teacher union, $16,000; Rocky Mountain Partnership for Educational Telecommunications, $10,000; Robert Garff, $12,413; and the Utah Public Employees Association, the state employee union, $15,000.
Shea has received $18,500 from the AFL-CIO; $10,000 from the UEA; $15,000 from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and $4,500 from the UPEA.