Serious money is funneling into the race to replace Butch Otter as Idaho’s next governor.
Boise businessman Tommy Ahlquist is overflowing with cash in his bid as the insurgent candidate to grab the Republican nomination.
Campaign finance reports released Wednesday show Ahlquist raised more than $1.7 million in 2017 – though about $700,000 of that is his own money.
He’s also spent nearly all of it on media campaigns, events and voter outreach, with roughly $68,000 left on hand.
Lt. Gov. Brad Little drummed up more than $740,000 over the past year. Combined with money raised in years past, Little tallied up nearly $1.1 million. He’s got about half of that left in his bank account.
Congressman Raul Labrador brought in nearly $675,000 during the same time period with about $375,000 cash on hand.
In the Democratic Party primary, another Boise businessman, A.J. Balukoff, donated $175,000 of his own money, combined with about $6,000 in contributions.
State Rep. Paulette Jordan raised about the same amount as Balukoff — $6,400 — with a little more than three months to go before May’s primary election.
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