U.S Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham reported raising nearly $900,000 since announcing her candidacy for governor in December.
The reports came in the first mandated campaign finance filings since she announced she would leave her congressional seat to run for governor of New Mexico. Gov. Susana Martinez is term-limited and cannot run for a third-consecutive term.
So far, Lujan Grisham is the first major candidate to announce she will run for the position.
Lujan Grisham also spent over $150,000, including $31,719.35 to the Washington D.C.-based Anne Lewis Strategies. The firm has worked for a number of high-profile clients in the past, including Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, the Center for American Progress and Democratic Senators Michael Bennet, Richard Blumenthal, Kirsten Gillibrand and Jeanne Shaheen.
Lujan Grisham received a number of donations from candidate committees of U.S. House colleagues, including $2,500 from Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn’s committee and $2,000 from Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer.
Attorney General Hector Balderas, who said previously he would decide whether or not to run for governor by this summer, raised $211,569.50 in the last reporting period. He now has $682,511.37 cash on hand.
Balderas could use these funds in a race for governor or he could run for a second term as attorney general. That seat is also up for election in 2018.
Balderas spent just more than $20,000, including on donations to other candidates. The largest of these donations was $5,150 to Brian Colón’s campaign for Albuquerque mayor.
John Sanchez, the Republican lt. governor, raised just $14,000 and has $231,987.49 cash on hand, perhaps an indication he is not aiming for a 2018 gubernatorial run.
Sanchez did, however, donate to a number of conservative political action committees.
Other Republicans reportedly considering a run for governor include U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce and Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry. Neither are official candidates or elected officials covered by the New Mexico Campaign Finance Information System and so did not need to file reports.
Alan Webber, the co-founder of Fast Company magazine and a former gubernatorial candidate, did not file a report. Univision executive Jeff Apodaca is also reportedly considering running for governor.
