One question that inevitably comes up in campaigns from candidates is “If you’re a candidate, should you aggressively pursue money from lobbyists?”
Well, that’s a darned good question. Most lobbyists worth their salt know who the players are out there, and where they stand on issues. Or at least where they say they’ll stand. Some organizations give a little to many candidates, and might get involved if there’s a race they’re particularly concerned about.
But, some candidates don’t consider it a bad thing to throw a line in the water, and see what bites. Such as this letter from Democrat State Representative Karen Soli, who send a letter to her ubiquitous lobbyist “Friends.”
In her first race in 2012, Soli didn’t exactly make a big impact from PAC’s, raising only $763. But fast forward to 2014, after she’d served a term of office, and she had a bit more success:
ksoli_2014general by Pat Powers on Scribd
In 2014, Soli managed to raise $5200 in Political Action Committee funds (both in-State and Out of State), providing her with a far bigger bankroll than she’d had in her previous race, and almost double than she’d been able to raise on her own.
And, she did win by 500 votes, so it’s likely that big influx of cash made a significant difference.
I’m not exactly sold on candidates using the always awful “Dear Friends” generic letter for something like this. I think it would be more important to personalize and point out how your views align with the organization. Or better yet, speak to the organization you want to raise hundreds or thousands from, and let them make the call for support.
What do you think?
A great lady who care about the working class.
The woman is a cracked-pot. But she didn’t do anything wrong with her letter.
She described herself as “trustworthy”. Soli undermined Kirschman at every opportunity. She encouraged Nesiba to run in the primary against Kirschman instead of the open house seat. She encouraged criticism of Kirschman’s votes for raising taxes as an issue in the primary – and she also voted for those increases. Soli is the kind of social issues only legislator that has no influence outside her caucus. Lobbyists should take a pass on this offer.