NM GOP raises twice as much money as Democrats

The GOP has raised twice as much money as the state Democratic Party during the past three months, according to the latest campaign finance reports the parties filed with the secretary of state's office.

Doylene Perry, wife of a Houston homebuilder who is a nationally prominent donor to conservative causes, contributed $115,000 to the state GOP at the end of June. That accounted for more than a third of the GOP's receipts from June 29 through Oct. 3. Her husband, Bob Perry, helped finance the "Swift Boat" ads against Democrat John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election.

The Perrys previously have made large contributions to GOP candidates in New Mexico and the state party. Bob Perry gave $125,000 to the state GOP earlier this year.

Oil and natural gas producers contributed $77,500 to the GOP during the most recent reporting period. Yates Petroleum of Artesia gave $40,000 and $25,000 came from Oklahoma-based Devon Energy Corp.

The Republican Governors' Association gave $75,000 to the state party. Dr. John Templeton, president of the Pennsylvania-based Templeton Foundation, contributed $30,000. He is the son of the late Sir John Templeton, a mutual fund pioneer who established the nonprofit foundation to finance projects that could reconcile religion and science.

All 112 seats in the Legislature are up for election this year and New Mexico is a battleground in the presidential campaign. New Mexico also has open races for the U.S. House and Senate that are important nationally because they will help determine whether Democrats strengthen their control of Congress.

The GOP collected $314,174 in its state campaign account since late June and spent $415,689. The Democratic Party received $139,691 and spent $156,801.

Republicans reported a cash balance of $134,135 as of Oct. 3 and the Democrats had $17,258.

Among the top donors to the Democratic Party were drug maker Merck & Co., $20,000; real estate developer Barry Lang and his wife, Janet, of Tucson, Ariz., who gave $10,000 apiece; the International Association of Firefighters, a union, $20,000; real estate developer Robert Abernethy, of Los Angeles, $10,000; and the Santa Fe County Democratic Party, $10,000. A Santa Fe real estate enterprise, BlueBird Ranch I Homeowners Association, gave $10,000. One of the company's officers and directors is Santa Fe homebuilder Sonny Otero.

Lang is chairman of Covington Capital, a real estate company that's part of a joint venture in a New Mexico project with Ohio-based Forest City Enterprises. The companies are developing Mesa del Sol, a residential community and commercial project near the Albuquerque International Sunport. Forest City contributed $2,500 to the Democratic Party. Covington Nevada LLC, of which Lang is a manager, gave $2,500.

The GOP spent nearly $77,000 on mailings, which were related to state legislative campaigns, according to Shira Rawlinson, a party spokeswoman. Other expenditures included nearly $78,000 for polling.

On the day the GOP reported receiving the $75,000 from the Republican Governor's Association, the party gave $25,000 to the Republican Party of Hawaii. Two days later, the party transferred $7,500 to the Republican Party of Washington. Rawlinson said in a statement that party-to-party transfers and contributions were very common.

Although there's no race for governor in New Mexico this year, Rawlinson said, "2010 will be an important gubernatorial election and much of the work we do this year will impact that election."

Spending by the Democrats included $28,700 for election services involving the presidential preference caucus the party held in early February and about $22,000 for catering and lodging at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

The state party paid for "delegation breakfasts for our delegates and their guests and provided hotel rooms for our sponsors," according to Josh Geise, Democratic Party executive director.