By Philip Haldiman
Mail | X: @PhilipHaldiman

Peoria's Mesquite District council candidate Tom Bottorf has about doubled his nearest competitor in campaign financing, both in donations and spending, according filings for the final campaign finance period before the primary election.

Pre-primary election period reports, which ran from July 1 to July 13, show Bottorf raised $8,405 and spent $5,262 during that time. To date, he has raised $66,640 and spent $51,061.

Matthew Bullock, his closest competitor, raised $35,107 and spent $23,677 to date.

This period, Bullock raised $6,667 and spent $7,041.

Significant donors to Bottorf’s coffers this period included Peoria Mayor Jason Beck and his wife, Jane. This period, Jason Beck donated $1,500 and Jane Beck donated $6,500. To date, Jason Beck has donated $6,500. Together, they have donated $13,000 to Bottorf’s campaign, amounting to nearly 20% of his receipts.

For individuals, the maximum campaign contribution limit for the 2023-24 election cycle is $6,650, according to state law.

In expenditures this election cycle, Bottorf paid $46,261 to Camelback Strategy Group for political consulting services.

A significant donor to Bullock’s campaign this reporting period was Realtors of Arizona Political Action Committee, giving $2,500.

Mesquite District candidate Laura Page’s receipts are $9,942 to date, and her disbursements are $9,196 to date, according to reports.

The race for the Mesquite District, Peoria’s northernmost area, is the city’s most competitive race for council this election, with Bullock, a former Peoria Unified School District president, and newcomers Bottorf and Page vying for the seat.

The race has seen contention over a some issues, including a proposed airpark for the district.

Philip Haldiman can be reached at phaldiman@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @philiphaldiman. We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.

Philip Haldiman
Senior News Editor | Peoria

phaldiman@iniusa.org

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.