Posted: Monday, May 16, 2011 5:02 pm
Carl Lewis off to a slow fundraising start in state Senate campaign By David Levinsky Calkins Media, Inc. | 0 comments
Dogged by a legal challenge to his candidacy, New Jersey Senate hopeful Carl Lewis is getting off to a slow start in the campaign fundraising race.
Lewis, 49, is running unopposed for the Democratic nomination to unseat Republican incumbent Dawn Marie Addiego of Evesham in the 8th Legislative District. But the former Olympic track and field legend has raised little to no money for his campaign so far, according to the latest New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission reports.
Released Monday, the reports showed Lewis filed an A1 form May 6 indicating he did not intend to spend in excess of $4,000 during the primary election. Any aggregate spending above that limit must be reported to the commission along with any campaign contributions greater than $300.
Lewis’ Democratic running mates, Assembly candidates Sharyn Pertnoy-Schmidt and Ray Storck, also filed paperwork indicating they intended to spend less than $4,000 during the primary.
Addiego has raised $46,439 and already spent $25,586 on her Senate campaign. She had $20,852 in available funds as of the May 9 reporting deadline.
Her GOP running mates, Assemblymen Scott Rudder and Pat Delany, have $14,637 and $1,381 in cash, respectively.
Most of the funds raised by Addiego have come from lawyers, engineers and other professional firms.
None of the 8th District candidates are being challenged in the primary, but funds raised before the June election can be carried over to the November election.
Vlad Gutman, Lewis’ campaign manager, said Monday that the campaign has gotten off to a slow start because of the legal battles to his candidacy, but that the campaign anticipates raising big money soon.
“We’re gearing up the fundraising operation. Once that gets going, we expect to bring in a significant amount of money,” Gutman said.
Chris Russell, spokesman for Addiego’s campaign, predicted Lewis would rely on the Camden County Democrats to help raise money.
“Carl Lewis’ entire so-called campaign has been a disaster to date, so the fact that his fundraising is nonexistent doesn’t come as much of a surprise. Looks like he’ll be as dependent on the Camden County political machine for campaign cash as he is legal advice,” Russell said.
Lewis announced his candidacy last month on the deadline day for candidates to submit their petitions to run in the June primary. Since then, he has been embroiled in a fierce legal battle over his eligibility to seek office.
Burlington County Republicans claim Lewis is ineligible because he has not lived in New Jersey for the required four years before the election. Their complaint is based largely on Lewis’ voting record, which shows he voted in California as recently as 2009 and did not register in New Jersey until the day he filed to run for office.
Lewis, who grew up in Willingboro and has lived in Texas and California, has maintained that he moved back to New Jersey in 2005. He currently resides in Medford.
An administrative law judge initially recommended that Lewis’ name remain on the ballot, but his ruling was overturned by New Jersey Secretary of State Kim Guadagno, who ordered his name off the ballot.
Lewis appealed Guadagno’s ruling to both state and federal courts with mixed results. The state appellate division ruled against him, but the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered his name be returned to the ballot pending a full hearing in federal court.
Legal jostling could delay a decision until after the primary, but Republicans still hope to disqualify Lewis before the general election. Democrats want the nine-time Olympic gold medalist at the top of their ticket and have promised to raise the necessary funds to help him defeat Addiego.
Lewis and his running mates can expect little immediate help from the Burlington County Democratic Committee, which as of March 31 was saddled with $112,607 in debt and only about $5,000 in available cash.
By comparison, the Burlington County GOP has a $325,615 net worth and $29,163 in cash, according to recent ELEC reports.
In the 7th Legislative District Senate race, incumbent GOP Diane Allen reported having $156,071 in available cash; Democratic candidate Gail Cook reported raising no funds.
Carole Lokan-Moore is challenging Allen in the Republican primary. Her fundraising totals were not available.
In the 7th District Assembly race, incumbent Democrat Herb Conaway Jr. has $50,709 in available campaign funds. Running mate Troy Singleton has $95,700.
Republican incumbent Joseph Malone, who was moved to the 7th District from the 30th District by legislative redistricting, has $169,909 in available cash, and GOP newcomer Chris Halgas submitted an A1 form indicating he would spend less than $4,000 during the primary.