Candidates In The Money

Susana Martinez has $4.2 million; Alan Webber takes jabs for spending $450,000 of his own money

By Joey Peters

Incumbent Susana Martinez leads all candidates for New Mexico governor in campaign fundraising so far, according to today's first quarter campaign finance filings for statewide elections.---

The report on the Secretary of State's website shows that the Martinez campaign has a balance of $4.2 million, over a million of which was raised in the last six months. Martinez is also favored in recent polls to win reelection.

Next on the list in money power is Alan Webber, the Santa Fe businessman and co-founder of Fast Company magazine who's running for the Democratic nomination for governor and will first face other Democrats in the June 3 primary.

Webber reports $811,613.44 in contributions since launching his gubernatorial bid last October, with slightly more than half coming from himself and his family's personal pockets. Republicans are already taking to Twitter to criticize Webber for previously expressing his opposition to self-funded political campaigns.

"I will be investing in New Mexico and I will put some of my money into the campaign," Webber told SFR last fall. "But as a matter of principal, I am not in favor of [a] self-funded candidacy. I think that thwarts democracy."

Webber's donors include Santa Fe activists like lawyers Jeffrey Haas and Frank Katz and City Councilor Joseph Maestas.

Democratic candidate for governor and current Attorney General Gary King has $655,702.34 in total contributions since launching his bid in the summer of 2012, but this quarter he only raised $229,479, reporting just $89,177.60 in the bank. King also reported loaning more than $100,000 of that money raised to him own campaign. Still, a recent poll found King with a more than 20 percent lead among his Democratic Party primary rivals.

Gubernatorial candidate Lawrence Rael, another Democrat, reported $322,963.60 in fundraising this quarter, spending just $94,000 of it so far. Linda Lopez, a current Democratic state senator running for governor, reported the least amount of money raised this quarter with $28,570 raised and nearly $26,000 spent.

Gubernatorial candidate Howie Morales, another state senator who won the delegate vote at the Democratic Preprimary convention last month, raised $172,916.31, spending more than $126,000 to leave him with just $46,000 on hand.

Santa Fe Reporter

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