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Money, money, money, money

Politicians already gearing up for next election

Van Hollen bounces back from 2002 race with big fund-raising push

Rep. Chris Van Hollen has rebounded from one of the most expensive congressional campaigns in recent memory, raising more than $330,000 since January.

According to his latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, the Montgomery County Democrat had more than $112,000 in cash on hand as of June 30.

With an early lead in fund raising for the next election cycle, a Democratic Party official said Van Hollen will present a big challenge to any Republican seeking to oust him from 8th District seat in 2004.

"They're going to have a tough time beating Chris Van Hollen," said Josh White, the executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party.

Van Hollen spent more than $2.9 million last year in the race to defeat Republican Rep. Connie Morella, a popular 16-year veteran of the House, who also spent almost $2.9 million in the race.

But Morella had no opponent in the primary. Van Hollen's spending was spread over the general election and a bruising Democratic primary race against Mark Shriver, who spent $2.7 million, and Ira Shapiro, who spent more than $886,000.

At the end of his campaign, Van Hollen had less than $4,000 in the bank and listed almost $175,000 in debts. But a wave of contributions from new supporters has helped put the freshman back in the black.

White attributed Van Hollen's success to his grass-roots support. His constituents "really believe in his campaign," White said.

"People on the ground just love working for the guy," he said. "He demonstrated as a challenger that he knows how to rally support."

Van Hollen has also received strong support from traditionally Democratic labor unions, as well as law firm and corporate PACs.

The National Association of Realtors, which gave Morella $10,000 during her re-election campaign, has contributed $12,000 to Van Hollen since January.

Nearly a third of the individual contributions from new donors to Van Hollen in 2003 came from attorneys and Realtors, both in and out of his congressional district, totaling more than $20,000.

Van Hollen's Republican critics viewed his political performance this year as substandard and criticized his fund raising, saying it shows he has "aligned himself with special-interest groups."

"Instead of being an asset to his district, he's been a hindrance," said Maryland Republican Party Executive Director Eric Sutton.

Aides to Van Hollen said that only the congressman could comment on campaign issues, but that he is out of town and would not be available for comment.

– Adrienne Saunders
Capital News Service

Mikulski raising and spending campaign funds heavily for 2004 bid

While some of the poorer members of Maryland's congressional delegation are sitting on campaign bank accounts of $100,000, Sen. Barbara Mikulski's fund raising has gone so well that she has spent that much on meals and golf tournamß­ents over the past three years.

In Washington's Senate restaurant, or in exclusive French restaurants such as La Brasserie and La Colline, the Baltimore Democrat has run up tabs as high as $1,640, according to her latest report with the Federal Election Commission. At The Monocle, described by one restaurant guide as "the place to go, as long as someone else is paying," Mikulski reported bills from $563 to $1,058.

Other expenses include more mundane campaign business such as supplies, trips, computers, donations to other Democrats and fund-raising consultants–the largest checks by far.

Her investment in consultants seems to be paying off. Mikulski, who is up for re-election next year, has taken in more than $1.4 million since 1999 and has spent $820,878 in that period, according to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics.

This year alone, Mikulski raised $936,819, spent $207,750 and, as of June 30, had just over $1 million in the bank, according to her latest FEC report.

Mikulski spokesperson Liz Poston said the senator fully expects to run in 2004 and that fund-raising is an important piece of the campaign. But she said that no one in the office has been authorized to talk about details of her campaign fund raising and spending, and she would not discuss restaurant bills or other items.

But other political observers were not reluctant to talk about Mikulski's fund raising.

According to James Browning, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, such a large amount of money with more than a year before the election can mean only one thing: "end[ing] the election before it starts–to scare the Republicans from going to the election," Browning said. "And it seems to be working."

Where Browning sees an insurmountable lead in fund raising, the executive director of the Maryland Republican Party sees a vulnerability. Eric M. Sutton said a three-term incumbent such as Mikulski could have raised more by now, and that could mean Maryland's voters are starting to look the other way.

In her 1998 race, Mikulski received more contributions from in state than from out of state. So far in this election cycle, she has reported getting 61.3 percent of her money from out-of-state donors, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

For Sutton, that means "she's in the pocket of special interests." He claimed that some of her votes have increased health care costs for children and obstructed homeland security.

"She's not been there for Maryland's people," he said.

Sutton acknowledges that despite her flaws, it will be tough to challenge Mikulski. But the party is confident it will find a challenger, he said.

"We've got two candidates, and we'll make an announcement next month," he said.

Browning believes that Republicans will find the money to run someone against Mikulski, despite her current fund-raising advantage.

After Robert L. Ehrlich's "dramatic" victory over former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend in last year's governor's race, Browning said, Republicans are "talking about Mikulski. She's the next target."

– Hazel Feigenblatt
Capital News Service

Sarbanes campaign has little in the bank–and little to fear, analysts say

Halfway through his current term, Sen. Paul Sarbanes has spent most of the more than $230,000 he had after his last election and had just $16,331 on hand as of June 30, according to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

That makes Sarbanes' campaign account the smallest among senators who are scheduled to stand for election in 2006.

But political analysts said the small bankroll should not be taken as a sign of weakness. The five-term Democrat from Baltimore typically does not raise money until two years before an election, they said.

"He's an entrenched and a powerful senator," who should be able to raise money easily as the election year approaches, said Nathaniel Persily, a University of Pennsylvania professor and election law expert.

But Persily pointed out it can also be dangerous to have a small amount of cash on hand in a campaign.

"Quality challengers are scared off by money," he said. "Having a large amount of money can change the field."

James Browning, executive director of Common Cause of Maryland, agreed.

"Democrats in power tend to build up large war chests," he said. But Browning added that Sarbanes also "enjoys a lot of advantages of incumbency...he gets his name out there on big bills."

FEC records show that Maryland's senior senator has not been a perpetual campaigner in the past–at the end of 1996, his campaign reported having only $4,648 in cash. By the time of his 2000 election, however, he was able to raise $2.3 million and spent about $2 million to easily defeat Republican challenger Paul Rappaport. Sarbanes outspent Rappaport by $1.85 million, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, and captured 63 percent of the vote.

Since that time, most of the activity in Sarbanes' campaign account has been money heading out the door.

After the 2000 race, the Sarbanes campaign reported having $230,334 in cash. Since then, the campaign has contributed about $95,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, $25,000 to the Democratic State Central Committee of Maryland and over $16,000 to other campaigns, according to an analysis by Political Money Line, a private research firm. The rest of the money went to campaign operating expenses, meals, post-election holiday cards and the like.

Sarbanes' latest filing, for the period ending June 30, showed that his campaign had raised only $235 this year – all of that coming in the first three months of the year.

Persily pointed out that, by giving generously to Democratic committees now, Sarbanes may be investing in his own future.

The restrictions of the new McCain-Feingold campaign finance law might make fund raising hard for candidates like Sarbanes, who have historically raised money close to elections and might find it harder to do so under the new guidelines. Parties could step in to help in such a situation, Persily said.

"One might think the party will remember the donation down the road," he said.

– Lisa Tossey
Capital News Service