School board race tops $125K

• By SAM KLOMHAUS Sam.Klomhaus@gjsentinel.com

The seven candidates for seats on the Mesa County Valley School District 51 Board of Education have raised a combined $125,614.68 for the race, and spent $79,229.20, according to the Colorado Secretary of State’s office.

Realtor Andrea Haitz, running in District C, is leading the fundraising with $33,354.33 as of the most recent financial reports in the race, which go from Sept. 30 through Oct. 13. Some of the candidates’ larger contributions were reported after the filing deadline for this period because candidates have to report contributions of over $1,000 within 24 hours this close to election day.

Prosecutor Trish Mahre, the District C incumbent, is the second highest fundraiser with $21,762.79 raised. The third candidate in District C, Austin DeWitt, has raised $519.24.

Haitz’s recent contributions include $1,000 from Tom Heule, of Breckenridge, and $500 from Sherronna Bishop, of Silt. Haitz has also received $3,000 from the Mesa County Republicans.

Bishop also gave $500 each to District D candidate Will Jones and District E candidate Angela Lema.

For Mahre, recent contributions include $7,500.01 from the Colorado Education Association, $2,500 from the Mesa Valley Education Association, $2,492 from Chris Mahre and $1,500 from Kori White, of Morrison.

District D candidate Nick Allan has raised the third most money so far, with total contributions of $20,160.33, which includes recent contributions of $9,166.67 from the Mesa Valley Education Association and $833.33 from the Colorado Education Association. Of the contributions from the Mesa Valley Education Association, $6,666.67 was reported to be a non-monetary contribution in the form of a mailer.

Allan has also received $2,083.31 in non-monetary contributions elsewhere.

Allan’s opponent, Jones, has raised $15,689.33, including a recent $1,000 contribution from Debra Davis.

In District E, David Combs has raised $12,928.33, and has received $6,666.67 from the Colorado Education Association, $2,500 from the Mesa Valley Education Association and $833.33 from the Colorado Education Association’s small donor committee.

Lema, the other District E candidate, has raised $18,200.33, including $459 in non-itemized contributions from unknown donors and $100 from Mesa County Commissioner Scott McInnis.

Haitz, Combs and Lema’s campaigns have also all received $1,000 loans.

Haitz also leads all candidates in spending during the race, with $29,103.54 her campaign’s most recent report included $16,141.20 that went to Cutter Consulting, Inc.

Mahre has spent $14,319.39, including $5,000 to Townsquare Media, Inc. — $2,000 for video production and $3,000 for digital and social media advertising — and $1,440 to Grand Junction Media, Inc., which owns The Daily Sentinel.

DeWitt has spent $526.90.

In District D, Allan has spent $15,063.69, with recent expenditures going to Grand Mesa Graphics and Mail Managers.

Jones has spent $1,015.12, with his campaign’s only expenditures from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13 $120.60 in bank fees.

Combs has spent $4,589.60 during the race, going mostly toward signs, Facebook advertisements and office supplies.

Lema has spent $14,610.96, but only $438.83 from Sept. 30 to Oct. 13