Politics & Government
Riddle breaks record for most expensive mayoral campaign in Lehi history
With campaign finance disclosures reported on Tuesday, Jesse Riddle, challenger for Lehi Mayor filed a report with over $22,000 in expenditures, making it the most expensive mayoral campaign in Lehi history.
At the time of filing, Riddle has an additional $15,362 of capital at his disposal after raising a record shattering $37,603.
The Riddle campaign is backed by some local heavy hitters including PGA Golf star Tony Finau and his wife Alayne ($10,000), Traverse Mountain Lodge event center ($10,000), Johnson MARK debt collection law firm ($7,714.94) and matriarch of the Peck family, Janice Peck ($5,000). Riddle is also backed by 13 smaller donors.
The largest expenditures for Riddle include:
$5,779 to David Kyle Political for campaign management
$5,502 to Salt Lake Mail & Printing for mailers and flyers
$3,786 to Brett Minson for signs
$2,522 to Lehi Free Press for advertising
$1,700 to Katlyn Riddle for videos and graphics
Riddle’s record breaking spending signifies a large shift from small town politics to big city campaigning that reflects the population boom over the last decade. With less than a week until Election Day and over $15,000 left in the bank, Riddle has plenty of fire power to solidify his message to voters.
Incumbent Mark Johnson has spent nearly all of his $6,300 in campaign donations with $6,280 in expenditures thus far, leaving him with just $20 in the bank. Johnson’s largest backers include Hadco Construction ($1,500), Kyle and Janeye Comer ($1,000) and Parkway Meadows ($500).
Johnson’s largest expenditures include Lehi Free Press ($2,036) for advertising, Facebook ($904) for advertising, Daryl Acumen ($750) for marketing and Notatek ($549) for signs.
With spending on pace to surpass $30,000 between both candidates, that total shatters all previous mayoral races. The 2017 Lehi Mayoral race saw spending of less than $10,000 combined between incumbent Bert Wilson and challenger Mark Johnson.
Voters have already received their ballots and may return them by mail before November 1 or in person at an official County drop box by Election Day on November 2.
