Campaign cash may have translated into votes

Friendship is always good in a Utah legislative leadership election. But money can't hurt.

It's become a tradition in races for Senate president, House speaker, and other top leadership races for the candidates for those posts to donate campaign cash to caucus members — or new candidates running for a Senate or House seat for the first time — with the hope that such campaign may translate into leadership votes in the week following the general election.

This year is no different.

State senators serve four-year terms. So a potential leader needs to give money over two election cycles to catch all his fellow caucus members' campaigns.

Over the last two elections, Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, has given $10,300 to GOP senators' campaigns, records show. That's only money Valentine gave to winners; he's also contributed to GOP Senate candidates who didn't win election (and so, of course, couldn't vote in leadership contests Friday).

Most of Valentine's donations were $1,000 each, although he gave $2,000 to newly-elected GOP senator David Hinkins.

Like all leadership voting, the ballots are secret. So it is difficult to tell which senators voted for which leadership candidates — or whether any campaign cash donations really paid off.

Sen. Mike Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, successfully challenged Valentine for president this year. Waddoups has given $11,000 to fellow GOP senators over the last two elections. Most of his donations were $1,500 each.

Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble, R-Provo, was challenged for his leadership job by Senate Majority Whip Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse. Killpack won.

Killpack gave $3,100 to GOP senators over the last two years.

Bramble actually gave nothing out of his own campaign account to fellow GOP senators. However, he and Valentine several years ago started the Utah County Legislative PAC (along with several other Utah County GOP legislators). The PAC's financial report in 2008 was not online Friday at the Utah Elections Office, records show. The office is closed on Fridays. But in the 2006 Senate elections, that PAC gave $16,000 to just five GOP senators — most coming in donations of $3,000 each. So Valentine and Bramble both were helping their colleagues that way then.