Brenneman leads money race

But will funding make a difference?

Democrat Joe Brenneman has raised 70 percent more money in the campaign for county commissioner than his Republican opponent, Denise Cofer, and has nearly twice as many donors representing a wider area, according to recently filed campaign reports.

But it's far from clear what that might mean for Tuesday's election results.

Cofer raised and spent only about half as much money as John Hinchey, her closest challenger in the June primary, but still won by nearly 1,000 votes.

According to reports filed Oct. 21, Brenneman raised $20,374 in the last reporting period and spent $12,345, while Cofer brought in $11,890 and spent $4,634.

Brenneman's report listed 211 contributors, while Cofer had 107. More of Cofer's supporters - 38 percent versus 26 percent - donated $130, the maximum amount allowed under state election law.

A fund-raising advantage is less important in local races, where individual contact is the key to winning, according to state Sen. Bob DePratu, R-Whitefish.

"I think it depends on the candidate and how hard they're willing to work," he said. Advertising - the main campaign expense - can be important to build name recognition, but in a contest for county commissioner there's no substitute for "good ol' footwork," he said.

Bruce Measure, a former area legislator who is active in Democratic circles, largely agreed.

"You get a little more presence" with more advertising, particularly print ads, he said. "But people are so bombarded with TV ads and everything, I don't know if they pay attention."

Both candidates drew most heavily from people with Kalispell addresses, which includes those who live in unincorporated Evergreen. Of Cofer's donors, 72 percent fell into this category, compared to 59 percent of Brenneman's contributors.

Fifteen percent of Brenneman's donors were from Whitefish and 13 percent were from Bigfork. Cofer had 8 percent of her donors from Bigfork and 5 percent from Whitefish. Another 8 percent of her contributors were from Columbia Falls, while 4 percent of Brenneman's contributions came from that city.

Measure said Brenneman's numbers from around the county could be an indicator of strength. Since county commissioners are elected at large, it's important to carry voters from both city and rural precincts, he noted.

"If he has both urban and rural support, I would say that's relatively formidable," he said. "If it's split up in the cities, or split in the rural, or [Cofer] is stronger in the rural, then no."

Campaign contributions can be a barometer of support in statewide or legislative races, DePratu cautioned, but in a local race it's not a reliable measure because a candidate's personality determines a lot of the campaign approach, including whether to emphasize fund-raising.

"Local candidates are generally inexperienced," he said. "It's also extremely difficult to ask people for money. They just have a tough time doing it."

Reporter Alan Choate may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at achoate@dailyinterlake.com