The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the fundraising arm of the party in the U.S. House of Representatives, thinks
A key marker will be the July 15 deadline for candidates to submit finance reports for the second quarter of 2007. Those reports will reveal the health and activity of the campaigns of the two Democrats who have entered the race.
Pearce knows it, and is trying to raise enough money this quarter to discourage DCCC involvement. He sent out a fundraising letter in May asking for help to keep the DCCC out of his race, saying the group has “the funds and the power to make a real impact.” He also went negative in the letter, attacking the two Democrats as liberals who will “be a voice for” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“What was said in the letter certainly was flattering and I think it does make him look weak,” said Fernando Cuevas, spokesman for the DCCC. “We do think it’s one (GOP seat) that we can actually win, and I do think the incumbent is vulnerable.”
The Washington Post has listed the 10 incumbents it believes are most vulnerable in 2008, and Pearce isn’t one of them. As usual, U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., is on the list.
There’s good reason that Pearce isn’t currently on the list. He has been elected three times, the last two by about 20 points each. In 2006, the Democrats couldn’t find a well-known challenger to face Pearce.
But there’s also reason for the Democrats to be optimistic. Al Kissling, Pearce’s little-known challenger in 2006, spent less than $200,000 on the race and did better than Pearce’s 2004 opponent, Gary King, who outspent him and had name recognition.
The DCCC’s involvement in a race means lots of money and other benefits, including visits by high-profile Democrats. The group generally doesn’t get involved in races until after primaries and doesn’t pick sides in primary contests. It looks to back candidates who have local support, have proven they can raise a lot of money on their own and have put together professional campaigns.
The current fundraising quarter is more important than it has been in past election cycles because elections are becoming active earlier.
“Raising a large sum of money in the quarter is just an easy way to show you’re in it to win,” Cuevas said.
‘Two competent candidates’
There are two Democrats in the race – Kissling and Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley. Though Kissling did meet with DCCC officials several weeks ago, Cuevas said the DCCC doesn’t know how active Kissling’s campaign has been because he hasn’t been in as close communication with the group as McCamley.
McCamley, he said, is doing what a candidate should be doing at this point – traveling the district and meeting with people, working hard to raise money and generally running a “professional campaign.”
“Bill McCamley is off to a strong start in his campaign. He is doing everything a candidate should be doing right now,” Cuevas said. “We’re very happy where Bill is right now and we think he is a strong contender against Pearce.”
Cuevas said the DCCC believes McCamley and Kissling are “two competent candidates.”
He said that, besides Kissling and McCamley, only state Rep. Joseph Cervantes of
Kissling could not be reached for comment, but he has been more actively campaigning in the last couple of weeks after spending about a month traveling out of state. He appeared recently at Democratic events in Tularosa and Deming.
McCamley refused to comment on how much money he’s raised thus far, saying that will become public when he files his finance report next month. He said he has been “actively fundraising” and traveling around the district, and he still has four counties to visit.
“We’re very happy that the DCCC feels this is a winnable district. We obviously do as well,” McCamley said, adding that Pearce’s fundraising letter “shows that he thinks he’s vulnerable. That’s why he went negative so early in the campaign.”