democrat=”” dan=”” maffei=”” is=”” running=”” again=”” for=”” congress=”” from=”” the=”” 25=””>25th District around Syracuse. Democracywise reporter Beth Croughan tells us just how much money Maffei has — and where some of his contributions are coming from. >
At age 74, Syracuse resident Patricia Durgin says she remembers a time when politics didn’t feel so distant. She was born and raised in Vermont, where her mother was a member of the local school board and her father was in the state legislature.
<“That kind of led me to the notion that people do have a voice. Or they should have a voice.” Patricia Durgin, Syracuse resident>
Durgin is making her voice heard. She is one of more than 400 donors who helped Democratic congressional candidate Dan Maffei raise just over 518-thousand dollars in 2007, according to the Federal Election Commission or FEC. The FEC regulates and reports elections finances.
Maffei is running for the 25th district seat for a second time. Maffei ran against incumbent Republican Jim Walsh in 2006 and lost by just 3,400 votes. Now Walsh is retiring and won’t run again.
Jeffrey Stonecash is a political science professor at Syracuse University and former pollster for incumbent Walsh. Stonecash says the Maffei campaign is on the right track.
<“Well, he’s tremendously well positioned. He’s got a lot of money. Climate’s bad for Republicans right now. Economy might go in the toilet big time. And Iraq is going to be back on the agenda. I can’t imagine Maffei could be in a better situation.” Jeffrey Stonecash, Syracuse University political science professor>
The FEC reports that in 2007, Maffei raised about 378-thousand dollars from more than 450 individual donors. That’s the majority of his fundraising. The Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit research group in Washington, D.C., that tracks election money. It reports that Maffei’s top individual donors are lawyers with about 50,000 dollars in donations.
Michael Wallace is one of those lawyers donating to Maffei. He is also the co-owner of Upstate Capital, a mortgage company for senior citizens. Wallace is a Syracuse native and one of Maffei’s top donors. Maffei is the first candidate Wallace has ever given money to.
<“There’s never been a Democratic candidate that I’ve seen that had the true ability to win. This was the first time that I saw someone that had the educational background, the knowledge of Washington and the intellectual ability to win.” Michael Wallace, lawyer and owner of Upstate Capital>
Wallace says he thinks Maffei can help his business and the Syracuse area grow.
<“Our industry is regulated by the federal government and we need to have people that are in Washington that understand the industry and support the industry.” Michael Wallace, lawyer and owner of Upstate Capital>
For her part, Maffei-backer Patricia Durgin is also among a group of his top donors — retirees. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that Maffei received just under 46-thousand dollars from retirees like Durgin. In 2007, Durgin gave 1,250 dollars to the campaign.
<“He seems to be sincere. And he goes back to that old-time politics that I was aquatinted with, of having house parties, coffee hours, things like that.” Patricia Durgin, Syracuse resident>
Durgin says she will continue to contribute to Maffei by organizing events and mobilizing supporters. For Democracywise, I’m Beth Croughan.
(Beth Croughan is a junior broadcast journalism and political science major.)
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