The Senate race fundraising numbers from the second quarter are starting to trickle in. It’s early yet, but so far, Alan Khazei is the big winner. He raised $920,000 – substantially more than all of the other announced Democratic candidates combined. There’s a caveat, of course – a number of the campaigns were not really up and running at the beginning of the quarter. Still, the others are going to have to pick up their pace to make up ground on Khazei.
Democratic Senate candidate Alan Khazei plans to report raising over $920,000 during the second quarter for his campaign, far more than reported by any of his rivals for the nomination to run against US Senator Scott Brown, a spokesman told The Boston Globe today….
Among the other Democrats to announce their results are Somerville activist Bob Massie, who reported raising $83,000 during the second quarter and $160,000 since beginning his campaign; Newton Mayor Setti Warren, who will report raising $123,000 during the first quarter of his campaign; state Representative Thomas Conroy, who the Boston Phoenix reported raising $61,000 during the second quarter.
Another interesting datapoint: Khazei was very quick out of the starting gate last time around as well, raising over a million dollars in just a couple of weeks (he was behind Coakley, but way ahead of Capuano at that point). Obviously it didn’t translate into a primary win for him in 2009, but the dynamics are different this time in many respects.
Also of interest: in his first two weeks as a Senate candidate in 2009, Scott Brown raised a modest $169,000.
How much do you think these numbers matter?
JimC says
I haven’t fully committed, but at this point I am leaning Khazei. Alan will fight.
johnk says
so it’s very different this time.
Don’t know how much it will impact his numbers but it doesn’t hurt. It shows momentum, or the appearance of momentum in his campaign.
Let’s see if he can maintain next quarter.
bidd50 says
If he can connect with voters.
Ryan says
I imagine he’s tapped his donor pool out pretty well with that kind of a quarter, but the end of the year isn’t all *that* far away, and he’ll get to do it all over again in January. If he uses that money to grow something akin to a real campaign — field staff and all — he’ll be well poised to build a large, early lead.
All that said, there’s every chance this primary is going to be won in the trenches, that the turnout with no big names won’t be giant, and that whoever can build the biggest and best field operation within the activist base of the party could be best poised to win — which shouldn’t cost all that much money.
stomv says
but I haven’t seen *any* candidates coming ’round looking to have coffees, backyard BBQs, that sort of thing — and I live within 5 miles of FOUR of the candidates.
Go figure.
sue-kennedy says
They’re everywhere here! My doctor assures me they’re not stalking me and everything will be alright when the meds kick in.
In the meantime I am memorizing their stump speeches.