|
"A collaborative political resource." |
[MD-01] Gilchrest Takes PAC Money To Fend Off Conservative Challenge
|
Parent(s) |
Race
-
|
Contributor | ArmyDem |
Last Edited | ArmyDem Dec 05, 2007 10:01am |
Category | News |
News Date | Dec 04, 2007 10:00am |
Description | By Michael Teitelbaum, CQ Staff
Faced with a strong conservative push to unseat him in a primary, Republican Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest of Maryland’s 1st district is taking political action committee money for his own re-election campaign account for the first time in his career.
The conservative Club for Growth has made knocking off the moderate Gilchrest a top priority and has bundled more than $100,000 over the past few months for one of Gilchrest’s challengers, state Sen. Andy Harris. Gilchrest has raised about $174,000 this election cycle, according to the latest fundraising reports as of Sept. 30 and has roughly $414,000 in cash on hand.
House Minority Leader John A. Boehner , R-Ohio, is putting together a Thursday (Dec. 6) lunch fundraiser for Gilchrest where a $1,000 contribution in PAC or personal funds would be allowed. Gilchrest’s campaign conceded that indeed he was accepting PAC money and has been since Oct. 1, the beginning of the fundraising quarter. Tony Caligiuri, the congressman’s chief of staff, noted that “once we looked at the amount of money that the Club for Growth was and will be pouring into the House campaign, we had no choice but to make this a fair fight.”
While Gilchrest has refused to take PAC money for roughly 15 years, he has maintained a leadership PAC, which has accepted money from other PACs but has used the money mainly to give to other political candidates. Caligiuri added that Gilchrest prefers not take PAC money and decided to stop in the past because “it wasn’t worth the effort” and he preferred to work on legislation and meet with constituents rather than raise money. Gilchrest has written frequently about his no-PAC stance and has given back numerous PAC checks to senders. |
Article | Read Article |
|
|