Tuesday, June 30, 2009

As dealine passes, many wonder if Wasinger will get any first district money

Tonight is the final deadline for contributions to first district candidates and we'll know in a few weeks how everyone made out. This will be the first reporting period for Tracey Mann. Mann recently moved from Johnson County to Salina to run for the first district seat. Not much has been heard from the Mann campaign except a few Hutch News articles on his support for Democrat Jim Slattery against stalwart Republican Pat Roberts.

Rob Wasinger will be turning in another interesting report. In the past two cycles Wasinger hasn't been able to itemize a single contribution from the fist district. I haven't been able to find any news articles or data as to how many candidates for federal office have gone two consecutive reporting cycles without even a single contribution from the district they want to represent, but I'd be willing to say three in a row just might be a record.

Wasinger will also be trying to play catch up with Sen. Huelskamp in the overall tally. Even with Wasinger's nearly complete out-of-state financing, he still wasn't able to even be competitive with Huelskamp in overall numbers. In fact, in the last reporting period Huelskamp raised more from the first district alone than Wasinger was able to raise from the rest of the country. That is highly impressive in this economy and in a district that is considered economically depressed in comparison to the rest of the state.

Also keep an eye on Wasinger's expenditures. It was just last February when Wasinger told Roll Call that all of his campaign contributions would be spent in the first district.
"I look at all the money that I've raised, all that money is going to be spent in the district," Wasinger said. "It's my very own contribution to economic growth."
After saying that, Rob went on to file a quarterly report where he spent just over $1,000 out of over $25,000 in expenditures in the first district. That's quite a promise to be breaking. We'll find out in a few weeks if Rob is doing any better on his promise to bring economic growth to the first district.

And then there's Sue Boldra. Her last report was hardly impressive, but she had just jumped into the race. Will her numbers be any better? This one is a make it or break it report for her with six candidates in the race.

Jim Barnett will certainly have some cash on hand. The question is how much of her personal fortune is he willing to invest this time. During the governor's race he pitched in quite a bit of his own cash. There's no indications that he isn't willing to do it one more time.

And finally there's Tim Barker. He's already coughed up $100K of his own money in the last reporting period. Will this one see another cool self contribution?

The next few weeks will be telling. By the way, online contributions given now will be counted toward the next reporting period. However, if you write a check with a June date on it and mail it in right now, I understand it will still be counted toward this just expired reporting period. So be sure and mail out that handsome check to your favorite candidate before time runs out!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

He has to get something from the first district this time. I mean, yea, he signed all of those people up to be on his "leadership team" and then filed a report with none of them giving any cash, but surely after 9 months he found somebody, anybody to give him $50 he can itemize.

KS Skeptic said...

my predictions for receipts on this quarter's report:
Huelskamp $96,000 ($72K from the 1st)
Mann $30,000 ($15K from the 1st)
Wasinger $60,000 ($10K from the 1st)
Boldra $20,000 ($12,000 from the 1st)
Barnett $125,000 (but $100K will be a loan, $10K from the first)
Barker $1000 (too small to itemize)

Anonymous said...

Wasinger $10K from the first? That's a risky prediction based on his past performance of $0.

KS Skeptic said...

Anon 1:31 - I agree, that is a risky prediction, but I went with it on the assumption that surely this cycle he'll get some of his now named 1st District supporters to come through with a little cash. If he didn't - well, as farmer joe said, in the history of recent - defined as since campaign finance "reform" of the '70's - elections has any credible candidate for congress gone 3 cycles with no itemized contributions from inside the district?

Anonymous said...

KS Skeptic is being far too kind to Mann, Wasinger, and Boldra.

More realistic predictions would be:

Mann - $10,000 ($2K from the First)

Wasinger - $40,000
($2,400 from the First, from his Democrat Aunt/Treasurer/Former supposed landlord)

Boldra - $4,000
($2,400 from the First, a self-loan)

Anonymous said...

You really have to wonder about an ego that leads a guy to give up a cushy DC job that pays, what, at least $150K a year and a nice house in the Virginia burbs to move out to Cottonwood Falls (where he has no previous ties) to run for Congress in a district where he hasn't lived since he was a child. It was predicted he wouldn't get any traction on the ground in Big First and, not surprisingly, he isn't. Voters are just very skeptical of slick DC/Washington/Boston dudes who show up (with no obvious means of making a living) asking the voters to make them the next Congressman. Tim Huelskamp, on the other hand, is the real deal. He's a farmer (yes, he actually drives a tractor and combine). He's in touch with the district. He's been casting real votes in the Legislature for a dozen years or more. He's trusted and that trust is showing up in financial support from within the district where it counts.

Anonymous said...

Tim-
Isn't it illegal for you to encourage your supporters to backdate checks?

Anonymous said...

It seems a little early to be spending time guessing which candidate is going to be raising what over a year before the election. Besides didn't Wasinger make over $200,000 last year? I'd imagine if he is making that kind of money, he probably will have no trouble throwing his own money in if he really needs it.

Anonymous said...

Wasinger throwing in his own money? Oh man, I hope he does. Western Kansas folks will love the DC guy throwing his money around trying to buy an office. That would be awesome.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:19pm,

I know you're a Barker supporter, and your whole group is struggling to comprehend this process, but do try to keep up.

They aren't speculating on total dollars raised over the course of the election, they're commenting on what they anticipate for the 2nd Quarter results that are turned into the FEC by July 15th.

Don't worry, the pain will begin to fade within a week after the 15th.

Anonymous said...

My humble prediction:

Huelskamp $120,000
Mann $25,000
Wasinger $95,000
Boldra $20,000
Barnett $125,000 (but $100K will be a loan)
Barker $50,000 more of his own money

Anonymous said...

Anonymous Barnett staffers-
everyone knows that your guy has to raise at least 50k and must give himself 200k to be taken seriously. Trying to downplay expectations anonymously on a blog is amateur at best.

Anonymous said...

I think Barnett will have over $200,000. With $190,000 being a loan from himself.

Wasinger will raise $90,000, mostly from out of state.

Huelskamp will have another $100,000 mostly from the first.

Mann will hit $20,000 mostly from out of district.

Boldra will have another $10,000.