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The summer months were a fundraising boom for state school board candidates, new disclosure reports show.
All but two of the 16 school board candidates added to their campaign coffers between June's primary election and Sept. 30, according to disclosures released on Friday, with most collecting the bulk of their cash contributions during that period.
Among the contributors is Quentin L. Cook, of Sandy, who gave $2,500 to District 11 candidate Erin Preston.
Cook shares the same name as his father, Elder Quentin L. Cook, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"He goes by Larry in some circles and in others he goes by Quentin," Preston said of her campaign contributor. "We went to law school together and we have just been friends ever since."
General Authorities of the LDS Church are told not to personally participate in political campaigns — which includes making financial contributions — but that restriction does not apply to local church leaders or members of an apostle's family, church spokesman Eric Hawkins said.
Preston raised $7,575 during the September disclosure period, bringing her year-to-date fundraising total to $11,725. Those totals do not include in-kind contributions that Preston and other candidates received from the Utah Education Association (UEA) in the form of mailers and digital advertisements.
Preston's opponent, Lisa Cummins, said school board campaign contributions reflect the central issue at the heart of this year's races.
"This is all about who is controlling and whose voice is going to be hard on the board," she said. "Is it going to be the union or is it going to be parents?"
Cummins raised $370 during the September disclosure period, bringing her year-to-date total to $1,970.
She said her contributions were made by fellow Utahns who are concerned about parental rights and local control of education.
"[Preston] is outfunding me but most, if not all, of the money that is coming to me is from constituents," she said, "from parents who share my concerns."
The UEA's involvement in school board races has been frequently criticized by candidates and Utah lawmakers, who accuse the teachers union of using out-of-state funding to influence local elections.
Last month, Senate President Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, and House Speaker Greg Hughes, R-Draper, hosted a webinar encouraging members of Utah's business community to work to defeat UEA-endorsed candidates.
Those concerns were echoed during school board debates by District 8 candidate Richard Nelson and incumbent board vice-chairman David Thomas, both of whom received campaign contributions from Niederhauser, disclosures show. Nelson has raised nearly double any other candidate: $23,150.
The UEA had previously supported Preston, incumbent Dixie Allen, District 4 candidate Jennifer Graviet, District 7 candidate Carol Barlow-Lear, District 8 candidate Janet Cannon and District 10 candidate Kathleen Riebe. And Friday's disclosure forms show that District 15 candidate Wesley Christiansen received $2,000 from the UEA Political Action Committee.
Christiansen also received $1,000 from Hurricane Republican Rep. Brad Last, and $300 from the campaign fund of Sen. Evan Vickers, R-Cedar City. Christiansen has now raised a total of $5,865, with all but $65 received during the September disclosure period.
His opponent, Michelle Boulter, raised $700 over the summer, bring her year-to-date total to $985.
One candidate, District 13's Scott Neilson, has raised no funding for his campaign.
The high school teacher and National Guardsman said he lacked the time to solicit contributions, and decided to instead focus on word-of-mouth campaigning.
"I think a lot more people pay attention to social media than they do seeing a [campaign] sign," he said.
Neilson is running against incumbent Stan Lockhart, who raised all $2,851 of his year-to-date total during the September disclosure period, reports show.
Lockhart and Neilson did not have a primary election, as they were the only candidates for the board's District 13 seat.
Lockhart said he was "energized" over the summer by the opportunity to get his message out.
"Now is the time to be out there making our case to voters," he said.
During past school board elections, candidates were screened by a committee and placed on the ballot by Utah's governor.
That process was ruled unconstitutional, leading lawmakers to create a direct, nonpartisan election in 2016, followed by partisan elections beginning in 2018.
Preston said the races are more competitive under the new election system, as past candidates were eliminated based on differences of opinion and policy positions.
"That requires all of us to work harder and do more to put our message out," she said.
Twitter: @bjaminwood Year-to-date state school board fundraising totals*
David Thomas: $11,200
Jennifer Graviet: $7,553
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Shelly Teuscher: $7,752
Carol Barlow-Lear: $4,229.69
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Richard Nelson: $23,150
Janet Cannon: $1,124.85
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Gary Thompson: $3,545.25
Kathleen Riebe: $1,685
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Erin Preston: $11,725
Lisa Cummins: $1,970
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Dixie Allen: $350
Alisa Ellis: $3,373.45
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Stan Lockhart: $2,851
Scott Neilson: $0
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Michelle Boulter: $985
Wesley Christiansen: $5,865
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*Figures do not include in-kind contributions
Source: State of Utah Financial Disclosures