Lovejoy outpaced primary opponents in spending

As expected, it takes money to run a presidential campaign.

Campaign expense accounts were released recently and Lynda Lovejoy, who came in first in the primary, spent the most money and received the most in contributions.

Lovejoy listed $29,267.87 in expenses and $30,819,01 in contributions, leaving her a little over $1,500 in the bank heading towards the general election.

Lovejoy contributed $8,800 to her campaign to purchase billboard space, and some 50 family members contributed just over $10,000.

More than $2,000 was raised at various rallies by passing the hat. She also did well holding campaign dinners, getting more than $5,000 at a dinner at El Rancho in Gallup and raising $1,765 at another dinner that included a silent auction.

Lovejoy ended up with more than 50 contributions, ranging from $10 to almost $3,400 (from Andre Cordero). Other major contributors included Leland Leonard with $655 and Sharon Singer with $375.

Vice President Ben Shelly, who came in second in the primary, raised $12,826 and spent $12,396, leaving him less than $500.

Shelly showed a wide range of financial support for his candidacy, although he had to come up with $4,297 of his own money.

Major contributors to his campaign included Deswood Tome ($1.000), Sherrick Roanhorse ($1,000), Alberta Laughing ($1,000), Young Jeff Tom ($149), Ivan Gamble ($275), and Matilda Hampton ($300).

Donald Benally, who finished third in the primary, actually outspent Shelly, listing expenditures of $19,611.

All but about $4,000 of that came from Benally and his family, although he got large contributions from Donald Dodge ($1300), Louise Luther ($1100), Ernie Saltwater ($1,000) and Betty Begay ($550).

That was also the case with Sharon Clahchischilliage, who listed contributions of $8,700 and expenditures of $21,071.13, which indicates that over $12,000 came out of her own pocket.

She also lists some unidentified contributors, although tribal election laws require a listing of all but minor donors.

Edison Wauneka, director of the Navajo Election Administration, said his office requires that the candidates submit receipts showing who contributed so election officials can check to see that candidates are following the law prohibiting donations from outside the tribe.

Clahchischilliage, for instance, listed three donations totaling $7,300 - almost all she received - from a person or people identified only as "Navajo anonymous donor."

Wauneka pointed out, however, that while the election law submits the names of violators to the prosecutor's office, no one is ever cited.

"The only thing we check is to make sure they don't go over the legal spending limit," he said.

Candidates for the primary didn't come anywhere close to the limit, which is $1 per registered voter or close to $100,000.

Several people running for president and a number of council candidates failed to turn in forms at all, which is a violation.

The election office refuses to certify winners if they don't submit the forms but as for the losers nothing is ever done.

Among the other candidates for president, Rex Lee Jim listed expenditures of $5,216 and contributions of $3,821, most of which came from him and family members. He listed 18 other contributors, most of whom contributed between $10 and $30.

Arbin Mitchell was also the biggest contributor to his own campaign, coming up with $4,615 of the $16,126 he raised. He broke even since that was also the amount he spent. He got a wide range of support from family members and others in the Navajo community, the report showed.

Albert Hale, the former president and now state senator in Arizona, came through with two donations of $1,000 each and Mitchell had several fundraisers that raised more than $5,000. Katherine Benally came through with $700 and Pat Sandoval, chief of staff in the president's office, contributed $100. All told, Mitchell had 20 contributors.

The only other campaign form that has been released showed that Jerry Todacheenie spent $4,558 on his campaign. The only contributor he listed on his campaign form was himself.

Of the $3,058 he spent on his campaign, most of that - some $1,900 - went to KTNN for political ads. Most of the rest went for gasoline, Todacheenie reported.

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