July 3, 2007 - 8:16pm
Dems have fundraising advantage in 12th
By Matt Friedman
Tags: Ellen Karcher, Jennifer Beck, Declan O'Scanlon, Michael Panter, Caroline Casagrande, Amy Mallet
The 12th district Republican candidates really would prefer to be in a “Clean Elections” district.
That’s because, had the 12th district been chosen, the Republican and Democratic candidates would almost certainly have gotten equal funds. But since it wasn’t, the Republicans are trailing in fundraising – badly.
Three districts were chosen to participate in the Fair and Clean Elections Pilot Program for the 2007 election: one Republican dominated, one Democrat dominated and one competitive. The 12th was a prime candidate for the “split” district, but it lost out to the 14th in a decision made by a panel headed by former Governor Jim Florio.
“There is absolutely no question that if we spend the same amount of money as our opponents, we will unquestionably beat them,” said Assembly candidate Declan O’Scanlon, who lost his bid for an assembly seat two years ago by under 100 votes. “If this were a fair election from a financial perspective, we’d clean their clocks. It’s only by ensuring that the financial playing field is grossly skewed do they have a shot.”
After expenditures, the two Republican Assembly candidates have about $20,000 in the bank, while their joint committee with state Senate candidate Jennifer Beck has about $7,000. The top of the ticket, Jennifer Beck, has about $36,000 cash-on-hand.
Assemblyman Mike Panter and running mate Amy Mallet have about $160,000, while state Senate incumbent Ellen Karcher has $68,000.
Perhaps that’s why Beck introduced legislation in April to include the 12th district in the pilot program – legislation that went nowhere in the Assembly.
It may look bad, but it’s a disparity that Republican candidates are confident they’ll be able to overcome. O’Scanlon noted that the fundraising patterns are similar to two years ago, when the Republican were dwarfed in spending but managed to win one out of two assembly seats in a very close election. Both Beck and O’Scanlon admit that they expect to be outspent – perhaps by as much as four to one – but say they will be able to raise adequate funds to run competitive a competitive campaign.
“Money plays a role but it’s certainly not an end-all,” said Beck. “Maybe you’re looking at the ELEC reports and say ‘hey, there’s a big disparity’ but the fundraising is easier this time and the money’s coming in.”
The 12th district is traditionally Republican, though it became vulnerable very recently. Prior to Karcher’s defeat of John Bennett in 2003, which was aided by the incumbent’s ethics scandal, the district had been entirely in Republican hands since 1979. That could provide some advantage to the Republicans, even if they’re outgunned financially.
“This is sort of the typical suburban district that in the past has voted Republican and four years ago rejected an experienced legislator for a new fresh face that ran a very aggressive campaign,” said Ingrid Reed, Director of the Eagleton Institute’s New Jersey Project.
Still, the Republican candidates complain that Panter and Karcher, both co-sponsors of the “Clean Elections” legislation, gave only half hearted support to getting the program into their district, knowing full-well that it would benefit their opponents – with Karcher not testifying on behalf of the district at the panel meeting chaired by former Governor Jim Florio, and Panter providing his support in writing.
“I think what was very telling was that neither Panter nor senator Karcher bothered to show up and testify that we should have been a clean elections district,” said Beck.
But Panter, who was out of the country during the testimony, said that his co-authorship of the legislation proves his sincerity. He added that he hopes the 12th district can participate in the program during the next legislative election.
“I’m disappointed that it wasn’t chosen,” said Panter.
Note: the original version of this story misstated the candidates' cash-on-hand. Panter and Mallet have about $160,000 on hand, not $260,000. Ellen Karcher's original total was also off: she has $68,000, not $167,000. Jennifer Beck has $36,000 cash on hand, not $30,000, while the joint committee with her Assembly running mates has $7,000, not $8,000.
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damn shame
I'm sure Panter was crushed over not having a level financial playing field, given that his very slim margin of victory is due to the megabucks pumped into the district by the folks he supports in leadership. Laughing all the way to the bank. What will he and the Senator tell the Asbury Park Press about his "reform" agenda this year?
Regardless, we knew the Dems would not let their 12th District representatives become campaign finance guinea pigs. Too risky to chance. If the Rs are going to win this one, it will have to be without a welfare check from the state.
oh yeah real shame pander
Total shame..this is ridiculous..the state machine is behind these tools hardcore..its gonna be ugly in the money raise. Nothing but robocalls for the 12th dems.
O'Scanlon is such a whiner.
O'Scanlon is such a whiner. Just shut up and come up with something other than a negative statement. Where are your ideas? What have you put forward? Absolutely nothing, that's what. And Beck, gimme a break. She attaches herself to Panter's legislation on pay to play reform, and then bashes it. What a hypocrite. They don't have the fundraising advantage because they offer nothing of substance.
Monmouth GOP
the GOP 12th's fundraising is absolutely anemic. On the one hand maybe its not surprising b/c the Assembly candidates are worthless. On the other hand, its a little surprising that Club Monmouth can send a little pay-to-play money their way. The Monmouth GOP used to dominate and raise tons of money...where are they now?
Surprise Surprise!
As predicted, D's fundraising dwarfs R's. The clean election should have been in the 12th, but as we know with equal resources the R's win. Roberts and Codey were not going to let that happen, after all clean elections were not to make the election process fair in a place where a clean and fair election could erode their power.
Thanks to Bill Baroni, all star player for the D team, Jen Beck and the rest of her team will have a real fight on their hands. Baroni could have easily stepped aside and still won in the 14th, but that would have meant more work for Bill, and could end up having been the key to an R majority in the Senate. Hopefully Jen wins despite Bill's selfishness.
Thanks again Bill.
Hopfully, Jen loses and just
Hopfully, Jen loses and just goes away. We don't need her anywhere near the legislature. And please, just stop crying about the money. Its getting really, really old now. Especially in Monmout County where the republicans outnumber the democrats by a large margin. Just shut up and go away and let the adults keep control. What a bunch of crybabies.
O'SCANLON'S LAME
Cry me a freakin' river O'Scanlon. Stop your crying, become a man, and for christ sake learn how to raise money. I hear Johnny "Double-Bill" Bennett has some time on his hands, perhaps he can teach you.
If you think you are going to win this campaign by crying about "Clean Elections", then you have already lost. Let's be honest here, 2005 was a fluke. Corzine lost the district big (and you know it).
Panter and Mallet are gonna beat you and what's her name like a baby seal. Be prepared to join Farragher and Arnone in political asylum.
everyone loves playing the blame game
Especially Patriot, who blames Baroni. Well gee, if Baroni is a prime sponsor of Clean Elections, he's gonna call for it in his own district. It makes sense unlike your argument. Baroni never said it shouldnt be in the 12th but he advocated it in the 14th because he's a prime sponsor of the bill and wants to prove that it can work (and his team already has).
The only people who should be blamed for the program not being in the 12th is the Dem's in the Assembly that did nothing with the bill that could have made the 12th a clean elections as well. Why would they though? They knew they'd kill in fundraising. The Monmouth County Republicans forgot how to fundraise along with the state GOP (which forgot years ago). I
'm rooting for Beck and her team but they really need to stop crying about everything and get out there and campaign about ideas on how to make NJ more affordable.
So backwardsjersey...will
So backwardsjersey...will you still vote for them when they still have nothing but negative statements. And when they keep crying about no money in the bank? They need some substance issues...O'Scanlon has brought less than nothing to the table...and Beck is just shrill. It sounds like you would vote for them no matter what.
it sounds like I wont vote for them..
No I will not be voting for Beck, O'Scanlon, and Cassagrande (or however you spell it).
I'm not in their district.
If I was, I probably would, Karcher is more of a hack then Beck ever is. Beck tries too hard to have a voice and it's obvious but she supports the right ideas, even if it's a little late. Panter has done a horrible job (as evident by his half ass dual office holding ban) and I dont even know who the other running mate is. O'Scanlon has the right ideas, just the wrong message right now. Cassagrande is the only one I'd be iffy about, but that's because of the lack of political experience.
Lets talk about Hacks....
Beck ASKED to be included on Panter's dual office and pay to play ban, and then bashed him for it. Very nice person there. What legislation has she put up in her two years in the Assembly. Can you think of one? O'Scanlon has not any ideas, other than crying about the lack of fudraising. Karcher has done more in her four years then Over Billing Bennett did in his 400 years in the Senate. I don't know what you're smoking, but I'm glad you're not in my district. One less foolish vote.
who's crying?
Check the latest press release on this site. You want to talk about how bad it looks that Beck's campaign people are negative when Karcher's campaign is doing the same exact thing.
Real positive campaigning there.
How many bills sponsored solely by ANY republican have passed the Assembly in the last two years? It's 50 to 30...yeah that's not what you would call a bi-partisan Assembly by any means.
The Democrats passed a budget full of short term crap and one hell of an election year gimmick called a property tax rebate check straight down party lines.
Every agreement they have cited has been BETWEEN THEMSELVES. People are getting the hell out of this state in flocks, and yet Karcher and company are excited because of no new taxes this year? Wait till next year. Higher gas tax, and that extra money it'll cost to be on the Jon Corzine sold Turnpike and Parkway.
Almost everyone supported Pander's half-assed dual office ban..it was a step in the right direction. Everyone ignored that Republican amendment that would make it illegal NOW, including Pander who called his legislation a "compromise". The Democrats are so heavy in the majority that they feel a compromise means agreement between themselves. No significant pay to play ban got instituted in this state, shouldn't the majority party have done that before taking their summer vacations?
As far as I'm concerned Karcher is just another number.
What's your point?
I don't get your point. They are saying the same things that I have said...Beck hasn't had any bills passed, except the ones she put her name to. Mainly, the Mike Panter bill for reform. Of course there will be more Dem bills passed...they are the majority. Duh. Were you this vocal when the Washington Republicans were pushing through legislation without any bipartisan support? I doubt it. Beck needs to campaign on issues instead of just bashing all the time. What will she do? She hasn't said. O'Scanlon should go back to consultiing and leave politics to the adults. And Premo is right in saying that Beck hasn't said one word on the Stalinista Puharic so-called pay to play measure. You know it wasn't Clifton to put it up there, he hasn't the brains or the guts to stand up against this petty tyrant. None of the Republican Freeholders do. That's because if you think you are doing something good for the people, even though your party might not like it, you get ostracized. Just ask poor Anna Little.
this has nothing to do with Washington Politics
Anna Little failed because she didn't want a background check and wasn't a team player. When your in county government and a freeholder you should support your running mates instead of just yourself.
Puharic has led interestingly and we'll see if he's done a good job come November.
I said very few Republicans have had bills past, it's not just Beck. Your majority ignores Beck and laughs her off, even when she leads to get rid of that paragraph that allowed the sale of the Turnpike.
This has nothing to do with Washington Politics. But if you've seen some of my posts before you'd know how I felt about the Republicans nationally in the past and currently. Did the last Congress fail? Absolutely, that's why they were replaced. Abuse of power can only go for so long.
Let's hope the same rules apply in Trenton.
So both Karcher and
So both Karcher and Panter/mallet both have like 100k less than it was orginally reported? WTF???