Campaign Finance Law Comes With A Surprise

September 23, 2013

The election law changes that raised Arizona's campaign contribution limits are also providing candidates with an unwanted and apparently unintended surprise. 

The surprise is a new requirement that candidates have separate campaign finance committees for the primary and general election elections, according to the Arizona Capitol Times.

Combined with a $2,000 limit on transfers between committees, that means candidates may have to commit their campaign dollars to one election or the other without knowing what the political landscape will look like months down the road.

That's according to guidance from the Secretary of State's Office about what the new law requires.

Chandler Republican Rep. J.D. Mesnard says the separate-committee requirement is not what he had in mind when he sponsored the legislation.  He says the situation is "definitely a nightmare."