Marcuccio, Newton Appear To Lead In Campaign Finances
Oct 28, 2009 8:51 - 3 Comments
(This article contains a bit of my own opinion, but is mostly news so we are running it in the news column.)People who watched the very excellent Twinbrook Citizens Association candidate forum know that one of the questions posed to the candidates was whether they would agree to release details of their campaign finances early, on October 26. The official filing deadline is Thursday at the end of the day, which is after the Gazette’s publish date. This means that voters don’t have a chance to look at the latest campaign finance records over the weekend before election day.In my view, this is a significant problem, as it opens up the possibility of last-minute donations going unremarked until after the elections are over. The question at the Twinbrook forum was intended to make it possible for voters to see this information in the main Rockville news outlet (the >Gazette) before they decide who to vote for, instead of after they have already voted.
Along with the Gazette, Rockville Central asked the candidates to provide the information. (The Gazette asked last Thursday, we asked on Monday.) All of the candidates responded, in varying ways ranging from copies of reports they had filed early to quick notes and emails.
Today’s article by Nathan Carrick in the Gazette gives a good wrapup of where the candidates stand in terms of fundraising, and shows mayoral candidate Phyllis Marcuccio and city council candidate Bridget Newton apparently ahead of the pack:
Rockville mayoral challenger Councilwoman Phyllis R. Marcuccio continues to lead campaign fundraising efforts, gathering more than $18,000 from more than 160 donors, according to her unofficial campaign finance report sent to The Gazette.
The reports are not due at City Hall until close of business Thursday.
Most of the candidates had agreed at an election forum in the Twinbrook community last week that they would file an early report so that the information could be published in The Gazette. The Gazette also sent requests for early reports via e-mail Thursday evening.
Mayor Susan R. Hoffmann said she was unable to provide an early report by Gazette press time.
“While I am more than willing to comply with your request, my campaign treasurer has been travelling and is unable to prepare the report early,” she wrote in an e-mail Monday. . . .
Marcuccio’s cash on hand on Monday was $3,900. She has raised about $4,897 since Sept. 26. . . .
Bridget Newton raised $3,636 since the first report, spent $1,860 and has a cash-on-hand balance of $5,100.
(As you can see, I say Marcuccio is “apparently” ahead of the pack as mayoral candidate and incumbent Susan Hoffmann did not provide early information.)
[UPDATE: By my calculations, Newton has less cash on hand than the article reports. I have $2965.46. This is still the leading city council cash on hand number. When the official reports come out we will be able to get a definitive answer.]
Follow this link to the full article see how the rest of the candidates are doing in terms of money raised, spent, and cash on hand.
There’s just one addition to the Gazette piece. It lists city council candidate Virginia Onley as not having responded, but late Monday [CORRECTION: Tuesday] she sent us her information. Since Sept. 26 (the last reporting date), she has raised $715, spent nothing, and has $1,927.80 on hand.
As soon as the full, official reports are available from the City, we will post links to them. They are an important part of the campaign process.
[UPDATED, correcting Onley's email date, and adding a note that this article contains opinion.]
[UPDATED, to correct Bridget Newton's cash on hand.]
This year’s Rockville City Council election should proof that it doesn’t take $30,000/$45,000 to run a campaign in Rockville. However, anyone who spends that amount of money and has a platform has a higher chance of winning.People need to realize that candidates need to put up their own money to start a campaign. It is one of the hardest tasks of running a campaign.I thank all the candidates who are in this race. It is hard work. Best of luck on November 3.
I was forwarded a disturbing email this morning from someone touting their choice of candidates. I say ‘disturbing’ because they based their choice on the candidates ‘budget prowess’. They defined this ‘budget prowess’ as the ability of a candidate to raise money for a campaign. Let’s take a moment to remember that dollars raised does not equal sharp understanding of a complex city budget. More to the point, I would more likely vote for the candidate who spends their campaign dollars wisely and is consious of the economic environment we are in. That shows more ‘budget prowess’ than someone who can raise a lot and spend a lot. My gut reaction? Hooey. Don’t let this kind of rediculous rhetoric sway your decisions. Responsible voters will take the time to check out not only the votes and positions a candidate has made or taken in the past, but they will look at what kind of campaign the candidate is running.
Can you provide a break-down of the candidate’s cash vs. in-kind contributions, and what % of each came from themselves or family members (such as spouses)?It is important to compare apples to apples-meaning cash vs. cash, with a special notation for loans and in-kind contributions. For example, in the report prior to this one, Bridget Newton reported $1,049 in in-kind contributions, all of which came from her and her husband.Specifically:$223.03 Signs —- - 9/4/2009 Fred Newton 10 Dale Dr Rockville MD 20850 $45.99 Cake 9/8/2009 Fred Newton 10 Dale Dr Rockville MD 20850 $218.23 Web Site 9/10/2009 Fred Newton 10 Dale Dr Rockville MD 20850 $411.28 Tee Shirts 9/3/2009 Bridget Newton 10 Dale Dr Rockville MD 20850 $150.54 Banner Also, on 9/22 Bridget Newton loaned her campaign $1,000. Given this information, I do not believe she is in the lead on fundraising.In any election in-kind contributions are always fuzzy and can easily be padded to boost someone’s total.