N.H. Race Tight Despite Fundraising Differences
WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2002–In politics, money may not be everything, but it certainly might matter. In one of the tightest Senate races in the country, New Hampshire Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen leads Rep. John Sununu by only 48 to 42 percent, within the 5 percentage-point margin of error in a poll conducted last week by the Becker Institute. The poll results were reported in Hotline, an online political daily.
While Sununu has raised $2.8 million during his campaign, Shaheen has almost doubled Sununu’s fundraising efforts with $4.7 million through Oct. 16, according to the Center for Responsive Politics at its opensecrets.org Web site, which tracks candidates’ contribution filings to the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
Financial resources were an integral part of the preparation, said Colin Van Ostern, spokesman for the Shaheen campaign, since it was believed that Sununu would outspend Shaheen by the end of the campaign.
“In addition to the money raised for the Sununu campaign, we’ve seen millions upon millions of dollars coming in from the national Republican Party, and when you see that kind of money coming in, you have to be prepared,” Van Ostern said.
Van Ostern attributed Shaheen’s fundraising to her wide range of support throughout New Hampshire and the United States.
“She offers a compelling solution to get the economy back on track, and she supports a woman’s right to choose,” Van Ostern said. “She’s mounted a very strong campaign and gone from being 10 points behind in the polls to ahead in the polls.”
Shaheen has also outspent Sununu, spending $3.7 million to Sununu’s $2.4 million and still has $995,000 on hand as compared to Sununu’s $442,000.
Julie Teer, spokeswoman for Sununu’s campaign, said that the campaign does not see having less money than the Shaheen campaign as a hindrance because “John Sununu has always been out-raised and outspent in every election, and he always wins.”
Teer added that a lack of funding would not deter Sununu from his mission of winning because “the political graveyard is full of people who had all the money and didn’t win.”
“He’s going to continue to run the kind of campaign he’s always run,” Teer said. “Person to person, door to door, community to community, a traditional grassroots campaign.”
Both candidates have received funds from a variety of political action committees (PACs) in support of their campaigns. Among Shaheen’s contributors are EMILY’s List, a PAC in support of pro-abortion rights Democratic women candidates, and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America.
Sununu counts the Business Industry PAC, which is supported by leaders in the business community, including Lockheed Martin Corp. and General Motors Corp.; and the New Republican Majority Fund, the PAC for Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.).
Additionally, the League of Conservation Voters has spent $118,381 for polling, mailing, and ads attacking Sununu, while the American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC spent $126,414 preparing and running radio and newspaper ads against Shaheen.
Published in The Keene Sentinel, in New Hampshire.
