For reasons beyond understanding, New Hampshire doesn’t require state candidates to submit campaign finance reports until just weeks before its primary. The deadline passed on Wednesday, giving us a complete look at all the gubernatorial contenders’ financial status ahead of the Sept. 13 primary. WMUR sums up all the candidates’ numbers.
Surprisingly, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas decisively outraised Executive Councilor Chris Sununu on the GOP side. Gatsas took in $965,000 (and loaned himself another $75,000) to Sununu’s $646,000, and holds a $552,000 to $224,000 cash-on-hand edge. Sununu comes from New Hampshire’s powerful GOP political family, so it’s pretty notable he’s not doing better financially. John Sununu, the candidate’s father, was the state’s governor and the chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush, as well as the state party chair recently; Chris’ brother was also a U.S. senator. Between his connections and his months-long head start over his rivals, it’s odd to see Sununu so far behind.
However, state Rep. Frank Edelblut has the largest warchest right now. While Edelblut only raised $80,000, he loaned his campaign another $750,000, and he has $587,000 in the bank. State Sen. Jeanie Forrester brings up the rear with $237,000 raised and $116,000 cash-on-hand. GOP primary polling has been very scarce so far. However, the ad war has intensified in recent days. Gatsas is out with his second commercial, where he pledges to fight Common Core. Gatsas adds that, “Some say they will fight to end Common Core, but talk is cheap.” He doesn’t directly reference any of his opponents, but the campaign has made it clear that they're portraying Sununu as a hypocrite on the issue. WMUR says that Gatsas has committed about $500,000 to his primary advertising.
Sununu went up with his first commercial a while ago, but it was backed by just $14,000. Sununu is out with a new spot, and it’s unclear how much cash he’s putting behind it. Sununu tells the camera that, “The blink of an eye,” as the camera quickly cuts to some grainy footage of a police car as a siren wails. Sununu continues by saying, “That’s all it takes,” before cutting back to the footage. The ad continues this pattern as the candidate talks about how a crazed killer could cost someone their father or husband. Sununu pledges to support the police as governor and “dedicate more resources for better equipment and recruitment.” Sununu has reportedly reserved just $64,000 for pre-primary ads, though this spot is not included in that figure.
Edelblut is also going on the air. The narrator in his minute-long spot describes how Edelblut found fraud at a company he was working for and was told to look the other way. The commercial continues by saying that Edelblut turned them in even though it cost him and his growing family his job, but went on to start his own successful business. As a member of New Hampshire’s enormous 400-member state House, Edelblut has minimal name recognition, but huge ad spending could change that. WMUR says that Edelblut has scheduled $124,000 in pre-primary ad spending so far. Forrester’s campaign refuses to say if she’ll advertise, which is a good indication that she won’t.
On the Democratic side, state Executive Councilor Colin Van Ostern reports raising $1.07 million since he entered the contest, and he has $460,000 in the bank. Mark Connolly, the former state securities regulator, raised $377,000 from donors, self-funded another $179,000, and has $306,000 on-hand. Ex-Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand brought in just $102,000, and he has a negative $5,000 balance. What few primary polls there are show that the vast majority of Granite State Democrats are undecided. WMUR reports that Van Ostern has reserved $285,000 in primary ad time to Connolly’s $98,000, and they say that Van Ostern’s ads are beginning this week. Daily Kos Elections rates the general as a Tossup.