NY-26: Jon Powers and Jack Davis Attack Each Others Fundraising
by Matt at Jul 17th, 2008
Nothing says “Democrat unity” like Jon Powers and Jack Davis attacking each other’s fundraising.
Alice J. Kryzan, an Amherst attorney, also showed she will prove to be a factor in the Democratic primary race by reporting $247,025 on hand; she loaned her campaign $157,000. Her filings with the Federal Elections Commission showed strong support from lawyers and law firms.
But an immediate squabble broke out between Democrats Jack Davis and Jon Powers, as each used filing day to criticize the other for the source of money and how it is being spent.
Davis, a Clarence industrialist who has vowed to spend $3 million of his own wealth in the campaign after dropping $3.6 million in two previous runs for Congress, reported $337,418 raised. All of that came from personal loans, none through donations.
Powers said he raised about $870,000, but has only $488,810 on hand.
Davis called Powers’ fundraising “disturbing” and made these claims:
• Powers has spent 50 percent of all the funds he’s raised without any advertising, adding that Powers spent 68 percent of all the money he raised this quarter alone.
• Powers’ in-district support accounts for only 7.5 percent of his total treasury, with 92.5 percent coming from donors from out-of-state (49 percent) and from other areas in New York, like New York City and its suburbs (44 percent).
• Powers has raised three times as much money from Washington political action committees ($187,175) than from individuals in the district, with PAC money accounting for 40 percent of the funds collected this quarter alone.
Davis, meanwhile, has pledged to take no money from PACs.
“Jon Powers is campaigning the same way he’ll govern; from outside New York and inside the pockets of the special interests,” Davis campaign spokeswoman Joy Langley said. “He’s an aspiring career politician and is the last safe harbor for the special interests in a sea-change election year.”
But Powers put his own spin on his numbers, pointing to 3,900 donors, with 67 percent giving $50 or less and 80 percent giving $100 or less. His campaign raised $272,000 in the second quarter, in his strongest reporting period to date.
Powers, of course, doesn’t want to concede that his support is coming from pretty much anywhere but within the district:
“Everyday Western New Yorkers are chipping in $25, $50 or $100 to bring real leadership and real change to Washington,” Powers said. “Our campaign has shown it can compete against millionaires. I am confident the voices of everyday Western New Yorkers will prevail over the dollars and political stunts of our opponents.”
But perhaps even more ridiculous than Powers’ spin on his fundraising is his spending:
Powers has spent $381,178 to date, and most of that money went to consultants and internal operations, with several thousand dollars going to travel in the last quarter alone.
Sure sounds like Powers is spending a lot of money with little to nothing to show for it. Maybe he’s still paying his rent with campaign cash, who knows?
And, how about those several thousand dollars for travel? Powers shouldn’t be spending that much on travel for campaigning inside the district… Of course, given the amount of money he’s raising from out-of-state, I wouldn’t be too shocked if Powers was spending a lot of time campaigning out-of-state.
