Johnson leads Barkdull in campaign contributions

DAVENPORT – Differences in the way the candidates who filed for an upcoming vacancy on the Lincoln County Superior Court bench show District Court Judge Dan B. Johnson outpacing Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Barkdull in campaign contributions.

Barkdull and Johnson are vying for a Lincoln County Superior Court seat being vacated by retiring Judge John F. Strohmaier; the election is Nov. 3.

According to the state Public Disclosure Commission, Johnson has campaign contributions totaling $12,684.85 in addition to $5,000 in loans.

In campaign finance documents, he claims expenses of $12,417.70, leaving him with $5,267.15 in his campaign finance war chest as of Monday, Sept. 28.

Barkdull selected to limit his campaign finances to $5,000 and is listed as a mini-filer by the commission. Under state law, a mini-filer does not have to report contributions and expenses if the total amount remains less than $5,000. Mini-filing also caps campaign donations from individuals to a total of $500.

So while Barkdull has capped his total campaign at $5,000, Johnson has reported the following contributions and expenses:

Contributions

Johnson is his own largest contributor. According to Public Disclosure Commission filings, he donated $2,500 in cash to himself on two occasions, and $1,500, $1,250 and $50 in other occasions.

He also claims $1,909.85 of in-kind contributions from himself, documents show. He also is claiming $166.53, $138.00, $110.00, $55.00 on two occasions, $51.55, $47.02, $33.41 and $18.49 in other in-kind contributions.

Cash contributors include Spokane attorneys Bruce A. Kaiser, $500, and Geoffrey D. Swindler, $250, records show. Davenport wheat farmers Hal Johnson donated $250, as did Nancy Johnson.

Other contributors include Spokane District Court Judge Donna Wilson, $200; Scott Kinkley of Colbert, $100; Derek Radtke of Everett, $100; Robert Hahn of Spokane, $100; Mark E. Vovos of Spokane, $100; Steven Olsen of Bainbridge, $100; Eric Johnson of Minneapolis, Minn., $100; Keith W. Johnson of Spokane, $100; Jennifer Elder of Spokane, $50; Stephen Elijah of Spokane, $50; and Tanner Haynes of Spokane, $50.

Expenditures

According to the Public Disclosure Commission, Johnson paid Consistent Hits $5,322.43 to develop and maintain a campaign website. He's also spent $1,635.00 and $340.00 with Free Press Publishing for print advertising in the Davenport Times and Odessa Record, as well as $300 with Ooh Media for campaign signs.

Other expenses include $1,909.85 for a loan repayment, $1,909.85 for his filing fee, and $555.39, $544.50 and $304.92 with Garland Printing Co. for campaign signs.

Johnson also paid the Lincoln Advertiser $455.75 and $322.95 for print advertising in that publication.

The rest of his listed expenses are all less than $200, documents show.