Marino has $11K on hand for campaign

By Charles Schillinger (TIMES-SHAMROCK WRITER)
Published: July 17, 2010

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Congressional campaign finance reports released Thursday show the Republican challenger to Rep. Chris Carney, D-10, Dimock Twp., has only $11,137 cash on hand, a figure campaign officials are brushing off but political watchers say is shocking.

Candidate Tom Marino, a former U.S. attorney, brought in $79,643 in contributions and spent $123,936 on campaign expenses from the period April 29 to June 30. Overall, he has raised $227,154, but he had spent almost all of it on a double-digit victory in a three-way Republican primary.

In contrast, Carney has brought in $173,172 and spent $95,769 in the same two-month period. Overall he has raised $1.13 million and has $792,891 cash on hand. The two-term congressman had an uncontested Democratic primary.

"It's the biggest surprise I've heard yet," Terry G. Madonna, Ph.D., director Center for Politics and Public Affairs at Franklin & Marshall College, said of Marino's numbers. "It's a stunningly low intake of campaign money in a district you would think might appear competitive, given it's a heavily Republican district and everyone understands the big winds are blowing behind the Republicans."

Marino campaign spokesman Jason Fitzgerald said Marino would rather be short on money than to be Carney and have to explain to voters why he stood with Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on a vast number of his votes.

"The campaign is not concerned at all and nor should we be," Fitzgerald said. "We will have the money we need to beat Chris Carney."

It is understandable that his coffers would be a "bit bare" after a competitive primary season, said Christopher P. Borick, Ph.D., a political science professor at Muhlenberg College.

"But those are absolutely poor numbers in a district considered a competitive race," he said. "To be honest, when you see numbers like that it casts doubt on the campaign."

In a statement, Carney campaign manager Max Cummings said the contributions the congressman brought in show there is strong support.

"It is clear that there is a complete lack of enthusiasm for the congressman's opponent and it is easy to understand why Republicans tried to recruit Congressman Carney to change parties," Cummings said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Paul E, Kanjorski, D-11, Nanticoke, raised less in the two-month reporting period than Republican challenger Lou Barletta - but still has five times more cash on hand than the Hazleton mayor.

Kanjorski took in $175,261 and spent $69,839 in the two-month period. He has raised $1.4 million to date and has $1.06 million cash on hand. In contrast, the Hazleton mayor took in $211,954 and spent $101,484 in the two-month period. He has raised $520,994 to date and has $236,807 cash on hand.

Barletta's campaign trumpeted beating his opponent in fundraising this period, while Mr. Kanjorski's campaign talked up the significant cash on hand disparity. But Madonna saw neither point as a major advantage.

"It seems like a huge disparity, but that wasn't a big problem for Barletta two years ago," Madonna said about cash on hand. "Democrats have to raise a lot more money in order to try and offset a horrendous environment for them."

Contact the writer: cschillinger@timesshamrock.com

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