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Wolf Boasts Raising $2.9M

Tom WolfTom Wolf has an operating budget of at least $12.9 million, the York County businessman announced today.

His campaign said Wolf, also a former Secretary of Revenue, has raised $2.9 million to date. The sum does not include the $10 million Wolf has said he will contribute to his own gubernatorial effort.

The Associated Press first reported the news.

The haul almost certainly will give Wolf one of the biggest bankrolls heading into 2014 – if not the biggest.

None of the other 7 declared Democratic candidates has thus far elected to reveal their fundraising progress.

The timing is no coincidence. Just days before the start of the annual Pa. Society festivities in New York City, Wolf’s number will boost his credibility at the same time as it puts pressure on his opponents to show their hands.

Campaigns are not required to file their next fundraising report until Jan. 31. That report will include all money raised and spent until Dec. 31.

The announcement is the latest shrewd move by Wolf’s campaign. The first was to decline to host a Pa. Society reception and give $15,000 to Pa. food banks instead.

10 Responses

  1. Brad (with no last name)-
    A few points:

    1) In terms of posting political commentary, I often describe myself as a gadfly. So, I guess some people are paying attention after all.

    2) I’m not a big donor, and I don’t care for politics that respects only big donors, while paying lip service to the small donors. But, as for Campaign Finance data, I’ve got 7 million contribution records from the PA State campaign finance reports going back to 2004 in my database. I’ll be adding the reports from the 2014 crop when they become available (but the campaigns know who already gave to them, so I’d suspect they’d be more interested in the 7 million records they don’t have).

    3) You could not pay me to work on an campaign as an actual staffer, nor attract me to work as a government staffer once elected. I’m a computer/technical guy and haven’t the slightest interest in taking a pay-cut from my regular job to do campaign staff work.

    4) One of the biggest things that I have going for me is that I’m not for sale and have no political aspirations or agenda beyond supporting candidates (and political positions) that I like. I’m not part of some big law firm or lobby. Anyone who thinks I’d ever consider working for candidate (in any role other than a vendor of computer/technical services of voter data) is completely clueless. I’ve made this point repeatedly for years. So, your “outing” me as a non-staffer is pretty ridiculous.

    5) Actually, I am aware of some of Wolf’s staffers, and for a few, I think their former titles are more impressive than their current ability. So, while quality does often beat quantity, it’s better to have both rather than neither.

    6) As for information, I’ve broken a few stories to PoliticsPA, and I’ve gotten plenty of inside stories before they came out publicly, or just interesting behind the scenes info on who can’t be trusted.

    7) If I’m so “unimportant”, and you are portraying yourself as so important and inside, why would you be asking all these people about ME in the first place? Did you call them all in the half-hour after my post to get quotes before your lunchtime nap?

    8) I’ve never met Schwartz and would support her only in the General. I’d be surprised if she even knew who I was, outside of my comments here and my public ridicule of her campaign staff.

    McCord’s campaign is pre-tested, pre-polled, pre-packaged and prepared. Rob’s done his research and doesn’t need any advice from me beyond a good debate zinger or two. His campaign will pay the state party $56,000 for their voter file and not bat an eye. He’s going to throw a lot of money, workers, media and message at the problem in a very “corporate/MBA” style. Definitely not my scene. But, I’m happy to attend a $50 fundraiser if there is food.

    I spoke to Wolf once. He seemed like a very nice, intelligent guy, but I got no vibe that he was enough of a politician to win the primary. I thought he’d make a great cabinet member on his areas of expertise, so I didn’t bother pursuing any follow-up of his candidacy. I doubt he would even remember me. He can easily afford the $56,000, if he’s willing to sink $10 million into the race.

    I like Hanger. I’m glad to hear he did well in the first debate. I have no idea if his campaign would pony up for the $56,000 system, or what his plans are for voter data. But, I’d be happy to take him on as a client and help him get on the ballot by providing good data for his petitions and fundraising. Having an extra $50,000 around would have a bigger impact for him than the other three.

    9) There are a lot of Gov and Lt Gov candidates who want statewide voter data, and don’t want to pay $56,000 for it, when they can get more up-to-date registration from me at 1/10th the price (including campaign finance data and local sub-accounts for their regional staff).

    For candidates running for St. Leg and St Senate, I have the updated redistricting, and (to my knowledge) the system sold by the state party doesn’t yet. But, the HDCC and SDCC are pushing their system anyway.

    10) As for “bringing no votes to the table”, I have hundreds of local committee people who use my voter data system every year. I get frequent thank yous for how I’ve helped them win local council and school board races, or organize their committees. Too often they get little help/attention from the party and the big players. I’m very proud of the grassroots activism I do for the party at the local levels.

    Unlike you, I actually sign my name to my posts.

    If I would ask the major candidates about you, the conversation would go like this.
    me: What do you think of Brad?
    them: Brad who?
    me: Exactly.

  2. His comments on this website show how little David Diano knows about real political campaigns. When you ask the major Democratic candidates for Governor about David Diano, most of them think it is a joke. I have done that with 3 of the 4 major Democratic candidates for Governor, each of them laughed and 2 of them basically said “he is a gadfly who brings no votes or money to the table.” David Diano is an even bigger joke among staffers of candidates for Governor.

    If David Diano knew anything, he wouldn’t need to ask the names of Tom Wolf’s advisers (especially when given descriptions). Every important staffer for the major candidates knows the other staffers and consultants who are managing, advising, raising money, handling press, and doing media for the other gubernatorial candidates.

    There are 8 Democratic candidates for Governor. If David Diano’s opinion was worth anything, especially since he is a Democrat from southeastern Pennsylvania, he would be working for one of the 8 candidates. David Diano does not get paid by any of the candidates for Governor. In fact, David Diano never has been offered a job, or even considered for a job with any of these candidates.

    If David Diano knew anything about running or advising a major political campaign, he would know that staffing numbers mean nothing. In fact, campaigns with a lot of staff and not much success in fundraising leads to a very high burn rate (expenses/revenue). David Diano has no inside information other than rumors at widely-attended generic party events, and no more insight than anybody who can access public information accessible with a wi-fi connection.

    David Diano is a small man with an anti-Joe Sestak obsession and a desire to build his ego through delusions of grandeur. He will have no campaign finance information until January 31, 2014 unless a candidate releases that information early.

  3. Tellin’ Like It Is-

    Umm… names please, to go along with the positions?

    How many staffers, besides these, does he have on payroll?

    My point was that McCord and Schwartz just seem to have bigger operations with more people involved in fundraising.

    (Note: not that Schwartz’s large staff is particularly effective, but she is able to do a lot of fundraising and have staff to make lots of calls).

  4. Wolf has a former HDCC executive director as his campaign manager, a former Dem Party executive director and Hillary’s 2008 state director as a senior advisor, and Senator Casey’s long-time media consultant as his media consultant.

    So nope, not much of an operation at all, huh David?

    And anyone who thinks he can’t win because of where he sits in the polls today is a moron. Please reference Bill de Blasio’s win in NYC.

  5. Selfless? Tom Wolf is anything but selfless. All decisions and investments he makes in York are only to further boost his ego, as well as his pockets and standing in the community (a sort of House of Cards). Quid Pro Quo. Wake up. If he wins the nomination, he will not beat Corbett.

  6. I see from the comments that people associated with other campaigns or completely ignorant of statewide races are busy spinning their angle. Tom Wolf can win..might win and probably will win the nomination. Not just a rich guy, certainly not a bored guy. Tom is a real Democrat! Treats his employees well, keeps jobs in the U.S. Not China and wants to use his business acumen for the citizens of the Commonwealth..not just to make his family wealthier! Wake up! This is a selfless guy who wants to do good. Running statewide is not easy. Exposing your family to mindless attacks is not a common sense thing to do unless you are doing it for the common good.

  7. wolf doesnt have a chance of winning. why dont he take his 10 million and donate it to helping homeless and hungry people in pa.i believe smith tried this against casey it dont work. the poor and middle class see right threw it.

  8. $2.9 million is a huge number, considering that Wolf doesn’t seem to have much of an operation or infrastructure in place.

    I wonder if $2.8 million came from his wife? 🙂

    It will be interesting to check out the campaign finance report next month.

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