This election, campaign donations from developers paid off. See who gave and who got.
Based on campaign donations, some of Election Day’s biggest winners this year were developers and builders in the Treasure Valley.
Successful candidates for the Ada County Commission, the Ada County Highway District Commission and the Legislature received big checks from development companies or builders. Losing candidates got donations from similar donors.
As projects are designed and built, developers must go through a series of local entities — like the county commission and highway district — to obtain approval. Cities and other locales also collect and determine impact fees, which are one-time payments developers and builders must make that are meant to help communities pay for growth.
Ada County Commission, assessor, sheriff donations
A political action committee associated with the Building Contractors of Southwest Idaho donated over $32,000 to political races in Idaho this year.
The trade association hedged its bets in at least one race by supporting competing candidates. In the county commission races, the committee donated to Democrat Patricia Nilsson and her Republican opponent, Tom Dayley, according to state records. Dayley defeated Nilsson on Election Day.
Over the past year, Dayley has received large donations from other local developers, while Nilsson received a large donation from the Idaho Realtors Political Action Committee, according to previous Idaho Statesman reporting.
Rod Beck, who ran to keep his seat on the commission, has received many more large donations from developers and builders over the past year than his opponent, Stan Ridgeway, the former mayor of Eagle. Beck’s donors included executives with the Avimor development team and property management company J.M. Auld.
Matt Clifford, a Republican who won his race to be retained as sheriff, also got donations from the managing partner at Avimor, Dan Richter, and Barber Valley Development Inc.
And Rebecca Arnold, a Republican who won her race for county assessor, got donations from developer Winston Moore and builder Don Hubble in recent months.
Over the past month, candidates in local races received new donations from some developers. Arnold received a $1,000 donation from Brighton Corp., a local developer, in October. Clifford received $500 from Vallejo Properties LLC.
Ada County Highway District donations
The most competitive race over the past year has been in District 3, where the incumbent commissioner and president, Mary May, faced Miranda Gold, a former Eagle City Council member who received endorsements from Boise Democrats and campaigned on improving bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
May received a set of donations from developers over the past year, including Tommy Ahlquist and the owners of Boise Hunter Homes, while Gold picked up donations from the Harris Family Limited Partnership, which is tied to developer Doug Fowler, and Caleb Roope, an apartment and charter-school developer, according to previous Statesman reporting.
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Kent Goldthorpe, an incumbent who has also supported greater bike infrastructure, also got donations from the Boise Hunter Homes operators, and from Tommy Ahlquist. His opponent, Neil Durrant, had not previously received large donations from developers.
More recently, Bill Truax, a developer who runs the Galena Opportunity Fund, donated $1,000 to Gold. Clay Carley, another developer, gave her $250.
Gold beat May. ACHD races are designed to be nonpartisan.
David Wali, the executive vice president of Gardner Development Co., gave $1,000 to Goldthorpe, who defeated his challenger, Durrant. Hastriter Construction, a Meridian contractor, gave Goldthorpe $500.
In ACHD races, too, some donors gave to both sides. Tall Timber Consulting, LLC, a real estate agent, gave $500 to Goldthorpe and Durrant.
Other donors to local races
These races also garnered attention from other prominent locals.
Rod Beck, county commission (District 2)
- Mike Moyle, a Republican legislator: $500
Beck, an incumbent Republican, defeated Stan Ridgeway, a Democrat, in the election.
Tom Dayley, county commission (District 3)
- Slate Click LLC, a technology company: $1,000
Matt Clifford, sheriff
- Vallejo Properties LLC: $500
- Mike Moyle: $500
- C.J. Cacioppo: $1,000
Clifford, a Republican, defeated Democrat Victor McCraw in the election.
Read on for a list of other recent donors.
Mary May (District 3)
- Tonn Petersen: $1,000
- John Jackson: $1,000
- Grant Petersen: $1,000
- Gayann Demordaunt: $1,000
Miranda Gold (District 3)
- Dave Krick: $500
- Peter Snowden: $1,000
- C. Fred Cornforth, former Idaho Democratic Party chair: $500
- Lisa Sánchez, Boise City Council member: $200
- Rick Just, newly elected Democratic state senator: $100
- Jimmy Hallyburton, Boise City Council Member: $250
- Dianne Pierce: $1,000
- Laura Shealy: $500
- Patti McClung and Allen Morgan: $500
- Chris Mathis, Democratic legislator: $500
Kent Goldthorpe (District 4)
- Larry Williams: $1,000
- Hannah Ball, a developer and former Garden City mayoral candidate: $500
- Donna Fowler, wife of Doug Fowler, a developer: $1,000
- Brighton Corp.: $1,000
Neil Durrant (District 4)
- Idaho Truck PAC: $500
- Building Contractors of Southwest Idaho PAC: $500
- Committee to Elect Mike Moyle: $999
- Jason Monks, a Republican legislator: $1,000
