Knowles tops race for funds; $505,000: He and Palin cite donations since Aug. 13 as proof of their grass-roots campaigns
BYLINE: By KYLE HOPKINS Anchorage Daily News
Democratic candidate for governor Tony Knowles raised about $188,000 more than his Republican opponent, Sarah Palin, over the past two months, according to campaign finance numbers the two campaigns reported Monday.
Knowles and running mate Ethan Berkowitz collected about $505,000 between Aug. 13 and Friday, according to unaudited reports filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Palin and lieutenant governor candidate Sean Parnell gathered roughly $317,000 over the same period.
Independent candidate Andrew Halcro had not filed his campaign disclosure report as of early Monday night. Spokesman Willis Lyford said Halcro would meet the midnight deadline but declined to say how much the candidate has raised.
Both the Knowles and Palin camps said their campaign donations are evidence that they're connecting with individual voters and are running grass-roots campaigns.
Half of Knowles' donations were for $100 or less, according to his campaign, which issued a statement from the former two-term governor: "The bottom line is great but just as rewarding is how many people from all over the state have given small amounts."
The Palin camp, which was outspent by foes Frank Murkowski and John Binkley en route to winning the Republican primary election, again looked to stake out underdog status in the general election.
"Tony has been a professional politician in Alaska for decades. For him raising money is like turning on a machine," said Palin spokesman Curtis Smith.
The Knowles and Berkowitz ticket spent about $640,000 during the most recent reporting period, while Palin and Parnell listed expenses of about $226,000.
The totals don't include so-called soft money spent by political groups to promote or criticize a candidate. The Washington, D.C.-based Republican Governors Association paid for a series of ads on Palin's behalf in recent weeks, drawing complaints from the Alaska Democratic Party and the Knowles campaign, which says the group spent more than $230,000 for commercials.
When Knowles said recently that he would reject help from such third-party groups, the Palin campaign countered that Knowles received soft-money help in his bid for the U.S. Senate two years ago.
Knowles' contributions this time came from teachers and professors, lawyers, business people, Native corporation executives, Anchorage municipal employees and others. JL Properties president Leonard Hyde donated $1,500 to the Knowles and Berkowitz ticket, for example, while Conoco Phillips vice president John P. Griffin gave $1,000.
McKinley Capital Management CEO Robert Gillam gave $1,000, and Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich and his wife, Deborah Bonito, each gave $1,000. The Alaska Democratic Party contributed $30,000.
Palin and Parnell received thousands from Republican women's groups around the state, plus Mat-Su business owners, lawyers, commercial fishermen, general contractors and others. Department of Corrections deputy commissioner Portia Parker gave Palin $1,000, as did former Gov. Wally Hickel. Former Anchorage mayor Rick Mystrom and Fairbanks North Star Borough mayor and Gasline Port Authority chairman Jim Whitaker each gave $500.
The Alaska Republican Party gave Palin $5,000 in cash and about $21,000 in in-kind contributions, according to the reports.
The Knowles and Berkowitz ticket had almost $115,000 left to spend as of Friday, compared with about $151,000 for the Palin and Parnell campaign, according to the campaign disclosure reports.
Daily News reporter Kyle Hopkins can be reached at khopkins@adn.com. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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