Janice Arnold-Jones (Photo by Heath Haussamen)
Republican gubernatorial candidate Janice Arnold-Jones has one-upped Democratic candidate Diane Denish in the battle over who’s being the most transparent about her campaign’s funding.
Arnold-Jones has posted on her Web site information about every campaign contribution she’s received to date – 168 contributions totaling a little more than $53,000.
And the campaign plans to keep the list of contributions current, adding new contributions to the Web site each time one is received.
Right now, the list includes the names of the contributors, the cities they’re from and the amount they gave. By the weekend, Campaign Manager Steve Kush said, the dates of the contributions will be added.
Putting the information online fulfills a campaign pledge Arnold-Jones made to her supporters, Kush said.
“She made the promise, she’s keeping the promise, just like she always has,” he said.
Denish has voluntarily been releasing campaign finance reports – lists of contributions and expenditures – quarterly, though in off-election years it’s only required twice. She plans to voluntarily release another report in the next couple of weeks for the fourth quarter of 2009, and earlier this week accused the GOP candidates of operating “in the dark” for not agreeing to do the same.
The other Republican gubernatorial candidates — Albuquerque business owners Allen Weh and Doug Turner and Doña Ana County District Attorney Susana Martinez – have not responded to my question about whether they would match Denish in releasing a fundraising report this month.
But Arnold-Jones has now upped the ante.
“Posting the names and amount donated by our financial contributors is clearly the most transparent way a candidate can operate,” Arnold-Jones said today in a news release. “Our approach, while voluntary, exceeds what all the other campaigns for governor are doing, including that of Lt. Gov. Denish.”
“I promised a transparent campaign and we are delivering on that promise,” Arnold-Jones said. “It is my sincere hope the other candidates will match our level of transparency.”