Gotham Gazette
Topics / Voting / This Month's Article
Voting Newsletter
Sign up for our monthly Voting newsletter:

First Name:

Last Name:

Email:


Plain-text HTML


The Topic
Voting refers to the processes through which candidates appeal to the citizenry, and the citizenry chooses who among those candidates will represent them. Elections, campaigns, the voting process (voting machines, etc.) are all involved in voting.
The Context
By and large, New Yorkers don't vote. Though the number of registered voters who turn out on election day has fluctuated, the overall trend has been downward. Fewer people voted in 1997 than in 1953, though the number of registered voters rose by more than a million (never mind how many more were eligible). After the debacle in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, federal legislation was passed to reform the voting process nationwide. Little has changed in New York.
Avella and Talon and Their Uphill Mayoral Campaigns
Though Councilmember Tony Avella and "Reverend" Billy Talen have an uphill battle to beat Goliath this fall, they're banking on grassroots dissent against Mayor Michael Bloomberg to propel their bids for office.
Espada's Campaign Filings Raise Questions

Rangel, Four Representatives Investigated Over Caribbean Travel

Who Will Replace Seminerio?
The vacancy created by the resignation of Tony Seminerio from his seat in the 38th Assembly District has left obvious concerns about who will fill the seat and answer the concerns of constituents in the district largely comprised of Richmond Hill and Glendale.
Campaigner Tells of Threat by Gunman
James Soyers, who was seeking support for Anthony Herbert, a candidate for a City Council seat, said that he and another worker were collecting signatures near Ralph Avenue in Bedford-Stuyvesant about 4 p.m. when a man in a blue sport utility vehicle drove quickly toward them, stopped, and threatened them with a gun. The vehicle, Soyers said, was adorned with campaign posters for Councilmember Darlene Mealy, whom Mr. Herbert is hoping to unseat.
Eyes on City Hall: A Young Man's Education in New York Political Warfare
by Evan J. Mandery, Fran Reiter

Power Failure: New York City Politics and Policy Since 1960
by Charles Brecher, Raymond Horton, Robert A. Cropf (Contributor), Dean Michael Mead

The Napoleon of New York: Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia
by H. Paul Jeffers

Type Size: A A
printer friendly format

email this article

most emailed articles
digg this
stumble it
del.icio.us

Michael Bloomberg and the Legacy of Self-Financed Candidates

by Susan Reefer
April 2001

That Michael Bloomberg, publisher, businessman, billionaire, is planning to run in the New York City mayoral race has stirred interest and controversy among pundits and pols alike for several reasons.

For one, he is running as a Republican in this city dominated by Democratic politics. Most speculation attributes this sudden change of heart (Bloomberg is a recent convert to the Republican Party) to the dearth of candidates in the Republican field, compared to the crowded Democratic primary.

The major reason that Michael Bloomberg is stirring up so much attention, however, has nothing to do with his political affiliations. He is the only candidate with the ability to self-finance, and that makes his candidacy very interesting indeed.

Self-financed candidacies are nothing new, of course. In 1992, Ross Perot's presidential campaign highlighted both the possibilities and the inherent risks of a candidate-funded race. Since then, we've seen several examples, some of them close to home. And the results are mixed. Last year in New Jersey, Jon Corzine went from quirky to U.S. Senate in under twelve months. Of course, the price tag was over $50 million.

But money doesn't guarantee victory. Betsy Ross, after being dropped as Governor Pataki's running mate in 1998, switched parties and used her new husband's fortune to wage a campaign for governor as a Democrat. After a lackluster primary campaign, she failed to secure the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.

Money is essential to running a campaign. Without some source of funding, it is virtually (although not completely) impossible to win. Some money is a necessity. How much money it takes to be competitive is still the source of significant debate.

That debate has resulted locally in the new campaign finance laws. Candidates for citywide office, once they establish certain benchmarks of support, are eligible for matching funds in the ratio of four public funding dollars to every dollar raised by the candidate. That ratio should allow the four major candidates on the Democratic side to be fully funded for this year's race.

Which is why Bloomberg's candidacy, and his money, are coming at such an interesting time. Having all the money you need, all the money you want, all the money you know what to do with is an advantage, of course; but it may not be as big an advantage as first thought.

Spending millions of dollars in a state like New Jersey is a measurable advantage. New Jersey is a state with a large population, spread out over a moderately large geographic area. The media markets are New York City and Philadelphia, the first and fourth most expensive markets in the country, respectively. The more money you have, the more media time you can buy, the more people you can reach. There's a direct correlation between money spent and the ability to communicate with voters.

New York City, however, in its politics as in so very many things, is different. Sure, New Yorkers watch television. But New York is also one of the last vestiges of old-school organizational politics. Relationships matter. Alliances matter. Endorsements really matter. Marching in parades and speaking to political clubs and meeting with editorial boards, these things do matter. They aren't just photo ops or symbolic gestures. They are the lifeblood of New York City campaigns. And what's more, they don't cost a thing.

And so if the most important aspect of New York City campaigning is less about money and more about retail, door-to-door, hand-to-hand politicking, maybe all the money in the world won't make that big of a difference.

But that will ultimately be up to the voters. At this date, it seems a safe bet that Bloomberg will be on the ballot this November, alongside the Democratic nominee and a scattering of minor party candidates. Whether the voters go with organization and experience, or advertising and image, will be at least a preliminary answer to the question. The question isn't, "Does money matter?" but "How much?"

Susan Reefer is a Republican pollster and media strategist. She is based in New York City.

Discuss this Article

Other Related Articles:

Visit the complete Topic Archives

Sites of Interest from Collegester:
Online Casino | Wireless broadband | Place Your Link Here!