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PHOENIX — Gubernatorial hopeful Len Munsil wants an extra $238,838 for his campaign to counteract a "push poll" that told would-be voters negative, albeit true, things about him.

Munsil, in a request Tuesday to the Citizens Clean Elections Commission, contends two of the questions asked in a phone poll of registered Republicans were designed to put him in a negative light.

And because they apparently were funded by an unidentified party who has not come forward, Munsil contends he is entitled to money to counteract the publicity.

Don Goldwater, another GOP gubernatorial contender, is seeking the same amount of additional funds. But Sean Noble, Munsil's campaign manager, said he will oppose that request.

The commission will review both requests Thursday, just days ahead of Tuesday's hotly contested primary, in which the pair are the two front runners in the four-way race. If just one of the two gets that last-minute funding it could affect the outcome.

Both Goldwater and Munsil have qualified for $453,849 in public funding. State law says that if any outsider spends money against a publicly financed candidate, then the candidate gets a matching amount.

In this case, the publicity came in the form of a three-question "push poll," one designed not to solicit voter opinions but to affect them.

Two questions were aimed at Munsil. One asked whether voters would support him if they knew he said God allowed the 9/11 terror attacks to occur, the other if their vote would be affected by knowing Munsil had conceived a child out of wedlock.

Noble admitted both statements are true.

But Todd Lang, executive director of the commission, said that is legally irrelevant. He said that if the questions can be seen as advocating for or against a candidate, they amount to electioneering.

Noble said the amount requested is based on the estimated per-voter cost of a poll and the estimated number of Republicans expected to vote.

Another question asked whether voters would support Goldwater if they knew he supports building a wall on the state's southern border with Mexico. Goldwater said the statement makes it look as if he backed the poll.