In the battle of the big bucks, Peoria mayoral candidate Jason Beck is way out in front of Bridget Binsbacher, stuffing his campaign coffers with money from individual donors and his own pockets.
And spending a lot more.
Campaign finance reports for the first quarter of this election season are in, showing Beck with a balance of $131,959 and Bisnbacher with a balance of $51,196.
Beck spent more than $40,000 — about eight times his competitor — with nearly half of it going to billboard advertising.
Candidates were required to file their campaign finance reports April 15, which covered receipts and disbursements from Jan. 1, to March 31.
In the last quarter of 2021, Beck donated $50,000 to his campaign and donated another $50,000 in the first quarter.
Additionally, he picked up $73,550 in contributions. Nearly all that money came from individual donors from Arizona who donated at least $100 or more.
Binsbacher raised $21,700 in donations, and, like Beck, nearly all that money came from individual donors from Arizona who donated at least $100 or more.
Beck brought in some high campaign contributions from around the Valley.
• Donations of $6,500: Peoria investor/entrepreneur John Gaston; Peoria investor Cathy Oliva; Peoria manager Rene Oliva; Peoria business owner/CFO Lisa Roux; and Glendale trucking professional Parminder Singh.
• Donations of $5,000: Mesa CPA David Day.
• Donations of $3,000: Phoenix business owner Ray Beauregard Jr.
• Donations of $2,600: Phoenix real estate professional Mark Ortman.
• Donations of $2,500: Peoria entrepreneur Edward Molina.
• Donations of $2,000: Former Peoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Scot Andrews; Peoria Planning Commissioner Anthony Feiter; Phoenix business owner Mark Ortman Sr.; Peoria retiree Deborah Williams; and Scottsdale real estate professional Andrew Cohn.
Binsbacher’s biggest donation came from Phoenix retiree Nicholas Formento, who donated $3,000.
Other big donors included Washington state retiree Steve Matthews, who gave $2,000, as well as Peoria Rheumatologist Nehad Soloman and Paradise Valley resident Rober Lyles, who both donated $1,000.
Familiar locals who supported Binsbacher included restaurant owner Joe Lucidi, who donated $750, as well as Mayor Cathy Carlat and Clint Hickman, Maricopa County Supervisor and Peoria High School graduate, who both donated $250.
As far as campaign spending, Beck spent $41,218 this quarter, while Bisbacher spent $4,978.
Beck’s biggest expense went to New Jersey-based Outfront Media for billboard design and rent, at $18,832.
Other expenses have included $7,062 to Think Graphic and Printing Solutions for t-shirts, $7,500 to Texas-based Brandlync LLC for social media management, and $7,117 to Camelback Strategy Group for campaign services and printed materials.
Binsbacher had $4,978 in disbursements this period and a cumulative total of $10,508 during this election cycle. So far this election cycle, her biggest expenses have been $2,800 to High Ground for political consulting and $2,266 to Americopy for printed signs.
Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman.
Meet Philip Haldiman is an award-winning journalist who most recently took first place for investigative reporting in 2023 from Arizona Newspapers Association. He joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2015, covering Sun City West his first year. Since 2016, he has covered the city of Peoria. Prior to coming to INI, he was a reporter with The Arizona Republic for seven years, covering numerous cities throughout the Valley. Before that, he was a freelance writer.
Community: Haldiman spearheads the Peoria Independent Hometown Heroes Awards program, honoring local individuals and businesses that give back to the community. He has hosted local candidate forums over the years and is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists. Haldiman also served as a member of the Journalism Program Community Advisory Board at Glendale Community College. Outside journalism, Haldiman served as a member of the city of Peoria Complete Count Committee for the Census, 2019-2020. Lastly, he has served as a member of his HOA governing board since 2021.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications and a BA in Theater.
Random Fact: Haldiman is a fourth-generation Arizonan as well as wrote and produced an autobiographical comic book about his time spent in Hollywood and his life as a cult film star.
Hobbies: He enjoys hiking Arizona’s mountainous landscapes and is currently working on a play for the stage.
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