BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
ERLANGER -- GOP congressional candidate Gex "Jay" Williams is turning to a professional fund-raiser and some big-name Republicans to help attract money to his campaign.
Mr. Williams, a Verona Republican running for the Fourth District U.S. House seat in Northern Kentucky, has hired Keelen Communications of Washington, D.C., a firm specializing in raising campaign money. Company founder Matt Keelen briefly worked in the May Republican primary for Fort Mitchell attorney Rick Robinson, whom Mr. Williams defeated for the GOP nomination.
Mr. Williams said House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia, House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, U.S. Rep. John Linder of Georgia -- chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee -- and U.S. Rep. Steve Largent of Oklahoma have all agreed to appear at fund-raisers in Kentucky over the next several weeks.
Details of the visits are still being worked out, but the headliners will appear at events across the Fourth District, a 22-county area that stretches from Ashland to Oldham County near Louisville. "Keelen will help in Washington, D.C.," Mr. Williams said. "Matt Keelen knows the (political action committee) community and knows how to raise money in Washington."
As of the last campaign finance reporting period three weeks ago, Mr. Williams trailed his Democratic opponent, Boone Countian Ken Lucas, by about four-to-one in the key area of cash-on-hand. Mr. Lucas had about $350,000 cash, compared with about $80,000 for Mr. Williams.
The Lucas campaign is quick to point out that Mr. Williams is now on his third fund-raiser this year. He hired, then quickly fired, Victory Funds, a firm based in Texas. Mr. Williams said the firm was let go because it did not have the contacts to raise money among the Washington PAC community.
The Williams camp has also retained Dick Hammersmith of Cincinnati, a fund-raiser active in Republican Party politics in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. He was brought on to help raise money in the Cincinnati area, Mr. Williams said.
Bob Doyle, a Washington fund-raiser and Democratic political strategist working for the Lucas campaign, said hiring a fund-raiser this late in the campaign shows the Williams campaign "is in disarray." "You can count on one hand the candidates that on Aug. 1 are hiring their third different fund-raiser," Mr. Doyle said.
"We are extremely confident that our finance plan is being executed with precision based on the support we are getting inside and outside of the Fourth District," Mr. Doyle said.
"The small amount of money the Williams campaign has raised shows that is a campaign in trouble," said Olivia Morgan of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which considers the Fourth District race one of the keys for the Democrats to retake their U.S. House majority.
"Gex Williams does not have the financial base he needs to run a strong race, and part of the reason is that people, especially conservatives, see Ken Lucas as an attractive alternative," Ms. Morgan said.
But Todd Harris of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee said it's not unexpected or unusual for Mr. Williams to be trailing Mr. Lucas in the amount of money raised.
"Gex Williams just went through a spirited primary . . . that cost him some money," Mr. Harris said. "But there is ample time for him to raise money and get his message out."
The Democratic and Republican congressional committees are permitted by law to contribute up to $5,000 to candidates, and then spend an additional $65,000 on behalf of candidates.
