Indiana Governor Fundraising Notes

(Fishers, IN)- The Indy Star had an interesting report on the fundraising efforts of the three candidates for Indiana governor. Here are the bottom lines:

Mitch Daniels (R): raised $3.37 million + in 2008, through reporting period
Jill Long-Thompson (D): $2 million + in 2008
Andy Horning (L): $500 in 2008

You get what you pay for, and sadly, Andy Horning isn't going to be getting any notice in a year where the media is going to be clogged with competing messages from the other two, in addition to the presidential candidates. I ran a very active statewide campaign in 2006 for Secretary of State, making more than 200 campaign appearances across the state. I spent some $40,000, mainly on radio ads. The results? I received fewer votes than Rebecca Sink-Burris, our candidate for SOS in 2002. The lesson? Appearances mean nothing. Paid media, hence name recognition, is everything. Make of that what you will, but that's the lesson.

Other notes:

Long Thompson got a big chunk of her money from two sources: the Service Employees International Union, which gave her $700,000 from January through June and has given her campaign a total of $1.225 million; and Emily’s List, the Washington-based group that backs female candidates who support abortion rights, which gave $400,000.

More than half her money from two lobbies? Don't Democrats normally complain about this sort of thing? Or, is it more important just to win?

Daniels’ biggest single source of income in this latest report? The more than $40,000 in interest his campaign funds earned sitting in Fifth Third Bank.

I actually kind of snickered when I read this. Don't know why. It just seemed funny. I wonder if seeing this comparison in print will nudge the Daniels campaign in the direction of tapping special interest money? I haven't had much positive to say about Daniels, but I respect the fact that he isn't getting money in big gobs from groups that would certainly want a return on their investment.

Now Andy- Please, start asking for contributions. Your message is worthy. Don't relegate it to being the tree that falls in the forest with nobody around to hear it. Dissatisfaction with Rs & Ds is indeed great, but overcoming the Wasted Vote Syndrome won't happen by accident.