Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — For Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke, fighting for his seat has been an uneventful battle.
Bedke has been unopposed in both primary and general elections for more than a decade, but has raised more than $269,000 since kicking off his political career. He's spent more than $109,000 of it helping other's people's races.
It's a common practice — and legal — under Idaho's campaign laws, where the legislature's fundraising powerhouses are often men and women who don't have challengers, but have overflowing war chests.
This small group is made up of powerful leaders who oversee party caucuses and key committees in charge of approving or killing legislation.
"If there's not competition between different parties, there is usually competition inside the party," said Jaclyn Kettler, an assistant professor of political science at Boise State University. "Most of it is party leaders helping other party members out, but you do see occasionally non-incumbents trying to demonstrate they're a team player."
The first round of campaign finance reports for the upcoming May 17 primary election won't be due until seven days before Election Day, but prior reports show a steady trend of unopposed candidates flexing their influence by contributing inside their party.
In 2014, Bedke was one of 28 lawmakers who raised thousands of dollars with no opponent in either election cycle. However, Bedke topped them all by raising more than $69,000 in campaign contributions as well as roughly $36,000 for his recently launched New Horizons political action committee.
He spent the majority of that money on more than 40 fellow House Republican races — primarily in $500 chunks. The leftover money was spent on donations, travel expenses and other operations costs — such as $150 at Morey's Steakhouse in Burley, $200 for a donation to the Oakley High School volleyball team and $316 for a new lamp at Pottery Barn.
"I feel like it is part of the role of the speaker," Bedke said. "I'm just following how it's been for all the speakers before me."
Bedke said that he's been open about his practice of giving to fellow caucus members to his contributors, citing that campaign contributions are public records and easy to check.
"Money follows trust," he said. "I don't misuse the practice."
Out of the top 10 lawmakers who raised the most amount of money while running unopposed in 2014, all but one were a member of legislative leadership or served as head of the legislature's powerful committees.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Republican Sen. Jeff Siddoway, of Terreton, who has ran unopposed since 2008. He's held his seat without raising or spending a dime in campaign contributions.
This makes him the only uncontested lawmaker to not have any campaign funds lying around despite his 10-year tenure inside the Capitol and his powerful position as chairman of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee.
"Even on a state level, it's pretty unusual not to have reported anything," Kettler said.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
