Monday, February 07, 2000
Money stocked to run for Congress
Officeholders seen to have advantage
BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — Several Cincinnati-area congressional incumbents have already won what political experts increasingly refer to as “the money primary.”
The term refers to the practice of building up significant amounts so early in a congressional election cycle that it can intimidate potential opponents from coming forward.
With almost a full year of fund raising still ahead, some Tristate members have exceeded or come close to money totals for previous elections.
Some of the cash-on-hand totals for area incumbents at the end of 1999 include:
• Rep. Rob Portman, R-Terrace Park: $538,321 in the 2nd Congressional District.
• Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Cincinnati: $501,250 in the 1st District.
• Rep. Ken Lucas, D-Richwood: $336,128 in the Kentucky 4th Congressional District.
All three face relatively unknown opponents. While Mr. Portman is used to minimal opposition, this is a new situation for Mr. Chabot, who has faced vigorous opposition in his three previous campaigns.
And Mr. Lucas is a first-term member in a district that the GOP controlled through most of the 1980s and 1990s. The GOP intensely wanted to win it back but has not been able to find a name candidate.
Researchers at the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonprofit organization that studies political fund-raising trends, said they have noticed a trend by House candidates toward piling up more campaign money earlier.
“Everybody is raising more money, and everybody is raising more money to ward off any other competitors,” said Holly Bailey, a center spokeswoman.
“The money knocks out people who might want to (run). We have a money primary in stead of voting primary, eliminating people who cannot financially compete.”
For Mr. Chabot, the $501,250 he had raised by the end of 1999 almost matches the $555,743 he raised in his first congressional campaign in 1994.
Mr. Chabot acknowledged that his campaign's fund-raising success so far might have played some role in discouraging competition. “I think this may be a factor, but I think the principal factor is we have been successful in three straight (elections),” he said.
He said he doesn't think that more money necessarily guarantees victory. He points to his first race, against Democratic incumbent David Mann in 1994, when he was outspent nearly 2-to-1.
Mr. Chabot said one factor helping him this year is the role he played as a House manager in President Clin ton's 1999 impeachment trial.
It generated unsolicited campaign contributions from people all over the country “who wanted to help us against the White House onslaught that was anticipated,” he said.
Reports surfaced last year that the White House and the National Democratic Party would make a special effort this year to knock off members like Mr. Chabot who tried to have the president removed from office.
Republican leaders responded by organizing special fund-raising events last year to help the House managers, but Mr. Chabot said support has come from other quarters as well.
He described them as “people I didn't know and didn't even ask (for money). They felt we had put our careers and reputation on the line in standing up to a president who had disgraced the office.”
Among other Tristate incumbents, Rep. Ted Strickland, D-Lucasville, already has close to $251,000 cash on hand — more than $10,000 above the $240,391 he raised when he was first elected to Congress in 1992 from the 6th Congressional District.
Mr. Strickland said moving the Ohio primary to March 7, two weeks earlier this year, has affected fund raising. “The earlier primary speeded up some of the contributions,” he said.
As to whether large campaign treasuries can discourage competition, he said, “I think it can have that effect, but I don't think that is true in my case.”
He noted that two Republicans, Michael Azinger and Jimmy Stewart, are vying to run against him. Their end-of-the-year fund-raising reports were not in the public files of the Federal Election Commission late last week, but both are expected to have significantly less money than Mr. Strickland.
Rep. Baron Hill, D-Sycamore, Ind., has $373,808 for his race against expected Republican nominee Kevin Kellems in the 9th Congressional District in Indiana. Mr. Kellems' 1999 year-end report also has not reached the election commission files yet, but he has said he expects to show more than $100,000 raised.
Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, is one of the most prolific fund-raisers in Congress, but has only $11,223 in cash on hand reported. Mr. Boehner spent his fund-raising efforts in 1999 on the Freedom Project, a political committee that makes contributions to other GOP candidates nationwide.
He has raised more than $500,000 for the Freedom Project.
Mr. Boehner, another area candidate who usually runs without significant opposition, says he plans to turn attention to his own campaign fund this year.
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