A strong first quarter haul has landed Manan Trivedi on the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s list of top challengers in the country. The Reading-area physician is challenging Rep. Jim Gerlach. George Badey and Larry Maggi also earned recognition.
The designation will make it easier for Trivedi to raise national money and earn the attention of third party groups. He joins Kathy Boockvar on the list; she’s the Bucks County attorney challenging Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick. Trivedi had been an “emerging races” candidate.
“The early strength we have demonstrated by being named to the Red-to-Blue program means we have the support, confidence, and momentum it takes to win in November,” Trivedi said.
DCCC Chairman Rep. Steve Israel praised Trivedi.
“As a veteran, doctor, and father, Manan Trivedi has dedicated his life to helping keep Pennsylvania families healthy and safe,” he said. “Manan is building a strong grassroots campaign that focuses on creating good jobs and standing up to the extreme Republican agenda of ending Medicare while protecting tax cuts for billionaires and Big Oil.”
Gerlach’s campaign said the Congressman has his sights on the general election.
“Jim Gerlach is focused on working hard for the citizens of the Sixth Congressional District and earning their trust and support. Our opponent is focused on begging for money from programs funded by Washington insiders and liberal extremists,” said spokesman Vince Galko.
“The people who fund this Red to Blue program support the government takeover of our health care, a failed energy policy that is hurting our families and business and a crippling economic policy.”
PoliticsPA named Trivedi a “winner” in our rundown of first quarter fundraising. He brought in over $222K and had $355K on hand. Gerlach (R-Chester) raised $273K and has $688K on hand.
He’s also an escape artist, having defeated a number of concerted efforts over the past decade in a district that was less favorable to Republicans – including his 57 percent to 43 percent defeat of Trivedi in 2010.
GOP lawmakers redrew the 6th district from one that leaned Democratic, to one that leans slightly Republican. Indeed, they drew Trivedi out of the district (barely).
Badey and Maggi
George Badey, an attorney challenging Rep. Pat Meehan (R-Delaware), and Larry Maggi, the Washington County Commissioner challenging Rep. Tim Murphy (R-Allegheny), were each named to the DCCC’s “emerging races” list. This designation puts the two on the radar of national donors.
Badey has $188K COH, Maggi has $266K. Time will tell if they can build on this pace – they’ll need to. Meehan has $1.1 million on hand, Murphy has $1.4 million (as of April 4).
“It is great news that the DCCC elevated us to Emerging Races. Combine this with the DCCC IE announcement of reserving $2 million of air time in the Pittsburgh media market which covers all of this district, and you see that this is increasing becoming one of the most competitive races in the nation,” said Bradley Komar, campaign manager with Larry Maggi for Congress.
The DCCC has reserved $5 million in PA airtime for the fall – $3 million in the Philadelphia market, $2 million in Pittsburgh. Any of these three could win up being beneficiaries.
Meanwhile, one of the DCCC’s “emerging races” candidates lost his primary on Tuesday. Jackson Eaton, who had raised $100K to take on Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Lehigh) was defeated by Lehigh Co. Dem Chairman Rick Daugherty (who raised $8K).
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6 Responses
Valuing candidates by what how much money they raise/have is no more an indicator of success at the polls than it is of qualifications, yet it is the primary evaluation tool used by the party and some PACs. In fact, the focus on money corrupts the process of encouraging individuals to run for office, biases behavior of candidates in favor of fundraisers and phone calls rather than voter contact, and makes profiteers out of advertising agencies, media, and consultants.
Moses-
How stupid are you?
You cannot give $10,000 to a federal candidate. The limit is around $2400 or $2500 for each cycle (Primary and General).
As far as the 7th CD, there is a threshold $ amount needed to be able to do mailings, and TV advertising to get your message out (or attack ads). With this being a presidential year and a PA senate race, there will be more turnout than usual, particularly the liberal/moderate Republicans that vote Dem for President. Badey doesn’t need GOTV as much as persuasion, since anyone not voting for president, isn’t coming out to vote for congress.
How come nobody is mentioning that the only reason Badey has any money in the bank at all is that he loaned his campaign a hundred grand out of his own bank account? He raised practically nothing in the first three months of his campaign.
Show me a guy who lives in a multi-million dollar mansion, has his own boutique personal injury law firm downtown and is the Democratic leader in one of the richest towns in SEPA but can’t manage to find ten guys to give him 10k in the first three months, and I’ll show you a candidate who isn’t serious.
Eaton was the only real shot the Dems had at putting even a dent in Dent. They appeared to focus most of their attention on raising money as opposed to actually running a field program to turn out their voters in a contested primary. Goes to show that talent can get wasted with a misguided approach to a campaign.
Nearly 3 to 1 turnout advantage in Primary for the GOP in CD 7. Badey has a VERY steep hill to climb. The only thing he’s likely to “emerge” as is an item of future political obscurity.
Eaton was a Republican who changed his registration in November. Daugherty was the Leigh County Dem Chairman.