Watching the 9-man GOP free-for-all primary race for Pennsylvania's only open seat is pretty entertaining. Keep it real ugly, boys - it only helps the eventual Democratic nominee. (For those not familiar with the race, in previous diaries I've briefly profiled the 9 Republicans, and compared the 3 Democrats on a number of issues.)
Now a second of the 3 rich candidates has triggered the FEC's Millionaire amendment by spending over $350,000 of his own money. 32-year-old coal heir Derek Walker says he has spent $365,000 of his own money on the race so far. While 28-year-old Matt Shaner has spent $1.2 million of his own money on the race thus far.
The linked CDT article also covers Walker's internal polling and the infighting among the 9. Juicy quotes below the fold . .
"When you have a candidate spending more money than any other race in the country, you’re kind of forced to," Walker said.
Shaner, 28, son of Shaner Group CEO Lance Shaner, said in an e-mailed statement that he’s been informing voters of his stance on issues while Walker "continues to run his negative campaign" in the final two weeks.
"I think it is ironic and misleading that Mr. Walker would spend over a month criticizing me for spending my own money in an effort to inform the voters of my position on important issues while he fully intended to also trigger the Millionaires’ Amendment," Shaner said.
Yes, obviously, $365,000 = $1.2 million. Shaner has it right! Also, I wonder if what Walker says is true. Is Shaner really spending more than any other candidate in the country? If so, wow.
More on polling:
Walker said a private poll of 5th District voters conducted March 31 and April 1 showed he and Shaner were each favored by 20 percent of the voters, almost three times more support than any other candidate.
"It’s a two-way race," Walker said.
. . snip . .
"We haven’t had the opportunity to get our mailings out — we’ve got two weeks to go and people are starting to pay attention," Exarchos said. "Those three people that you mentioned are the ones that are spending beaucoup bucks. Right now, it seems to me that it’s a direct correlation between money and ratings."
Stroehmann, 42, said Walker was "manipulative" in stating poll results that showed Stroehmann third (note: 3rd with 7%). The great-great-grandson of the founder of Stroehmann Bakeries refused to disclose his own spending or say what his own polling may have shown. He called the Walker statement "hilarious."
I think the whole damn thing is hilarious. If spending $1.2 million, 3 times the next big spender, only gets you tied for 20% in a weak field - that's pretty sad. I'm so torn between having the satisfaction of seeing Shaner shut down in the primary vs. having him be the weakest opponent to our own nominee in the General.