Democrats join forces to fund Patrick campaign
The state's Democratic fund-raising apparatus closed ranks quickly yesterday behind Deval L. Patrick, the party's nominee for governor, in an attempt to avert post-primary disarray that has helped Republicans win the last four elections for the corner office.
Patrick's campaign was all but out of money after Tuesday's victory, but fund-raisers for his two vanquished rivals, Christopher F. Gabrieli and Thomas F. Reilly, agreed to help his campaign replenish its account soon.
Leading fund-raisers from all three campaigns met late yesterday to plan strategy at a conference center in a Financial District office building. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Democratic Party bought $400,000 worth of television airtime for Patrick ads that will begin airing today, said state party chairman Philip W. Johnston. Johnston said that he expects the Republican candidate , Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey, to spend at least $8 million during the seven-week campaign and that the challenge for Democrats is to keep Patrick financially competitive.
The fund-raisers' agreement to join forces immediately after the primary was reached a few weeks ago, when the race was still in doubt. They were approached by Cameron F. Kerry, brother of Senator John F. Kerry and cochairman of Victory `06, the state party committee that coordinates help to all Democratic candidates on the November ballot.
``One of the reasons we keep losing is that our nominee, after months of competing for Democratic votes, winds up broke and exhausted the day after the primary," said Alan D. Solomont, the party's most prolific fund-raiser and one of Reilly's chief backers.
Solomont, a former finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, attended yesterday's session.
Four years ago, Democrat Shannon O'Brien ``had no resources to compete, and Mitt Romney was able to pick her apart before she could raise more money," Solomont said. ``We're determined not to let that happen this year.
``I've been involved in every governor's race since 1982, and this is our best chance in 20 years," said Solomont, who is leading a fund-raising contingent of Reilly supporters that includes former national and state party chairman Steve Grossman and Boston lawyer Bob Sherman, now helping Patrick.
Gabrieli finance cochairwoman Cheryl Cronin, who also attended the meeting, said ``people are going to step up" to help Patrick financially. ``There's a real strong commitment this year to make sure he has the funds necessary to articulate his message," she said.
Johnston said the party will have another $350,000 to pay campaign expenses of Patrick and his running mate, Timothy Murray, after a party fund-raising luncheon next Monday at the Park Plaza Hotel in Boston. Sponsoring the event are the state's congressional delegation, legislative leaders, Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston, and Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico, who is chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.
Johnston said that fund-raising has also accelerated for an Oct. 16 luncheon featuring former president Bill Clinton, under whom Patrick served as assistant attorney general for civil rights in the mid-1990s. Johnston said the party hopes to raise $1 million at that event.
Patrick's campaign, which has taken in more than $1 million over the Internet, raised about another $38,000 through its website in the first 14 hours after he was declared the winner Tuesday night. A number of elected officials and business executives who backed other Democratic candidates and a few fund-raisers from out of state have also contacted Patrick's campaign offering to help, a campaign official said.
Each member of the congressional delegation will donate funds from his own campaign account to the state party's federal account, which can pay for expenses that promote the entire ticket headed by Senator Edward M. Kennedy. The 10 congressmen will donate at least $25,000 each apiece and Senators Kennedy and Kerry will kick in $100,000, Johnston said.
Kennedy is hosting a $150-a-head fund-raiser Oct. 7, a cookout at his family's compound in Hyannis Port, state party spokeswoman Cyndi Roy said. The proceeds will be split between the party and the Patrick-Murray campaign, she said.
The Democrats are also eligible for a large share of $806,844 in public funds administered by the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, because during the primary campaign both candidates agreed to voluntary spending limits in return for public funding. Independent candidate Christy Mihos and his running mate, John Sullivan, are also eligible for some of the funding, because they agreed to the limits in the general election, according to Denis Kennedy, spokesman for the campaign finance office.
Green Rainbow Party candidate Grace Ross also agreed to a spending cap and would be eligible for a portion of a split, but only if she raises at least $125,000 before a filing deadline in early October, Kennedy said. By the end of August, however, Ross had only raised $5,802, state reports show, and had $77.47 on hand.
None of the candidates' spending will be restricted during the campaign, however, because Healey did not agree to any limit and is not eligible for public funds. 