#NCGA: Primary-meddling, by the numbers.
We filled you in earlier about the aggressive tactics orchestrated by the NC Senate GOP caucus in the May primaries. A lot of mean things were said and done, and a lot of money was spent, BY REPUBLICANS AGAINST REPUBLICANS.
Well, The North Carolina Republican Senatorial Caucus (aka The state Senate GOP caucus aka Phil Berger) has submitted its campaign finance report for activities from January 1 through April 21, 2018.
According to the report, Berger & co. spent a whopping $27,673.51 on direct mail benefiting senator Tom McInnis in his primary battle with Michelle Lexo. Of course, there was more spent between April 22 and May 7. (And, mind you, this does not include money funneled through the Realtors PAC, Home Builders PAC, or the Chamber or other Raleigh swamp-feeders.)
Senator Andy Wells of Hickory also had a contested primary. But that didn’t stop the caucus from getting involved. They report spending $36,658.52 for direct mail on Wells’s behalf through April 21.
The caucus hedged its bets in Winston-Salem centered district 31. Incumbents Joyce Krawiec and Dan Barrett faced off in a primary that also included a non-incumbent candidate. According to the NCRSC’s report, the caucus spent $6125.93 on Krawiec, while spending $4625.33 on Barrett.
Senator David Curtis had a contested primary. But the caucus spent $9,136.64 on direct mail through April 21 to help him.
What about the House caucus?
If our party legislative caucuses are going to engage in primaries, then the shackles need to be taken off county parties endorsing in primaries. What is sauce for the goose should be sauce for the gander. There should be a level playing field between the grassroots (local parties) and the Raleigh party power brokers.
This is exactly what everyone feared with the “affiliated party committees”.
Not only did they campaign against good Republicans, they made up horrendous lies on top of it. NCGOP has been overtaken by Berger Inc. They need to fix this or the grassroots folks will.
Congratulations NCGOP, NCRSC, et al., so happy for you that all those funds were on hand to fund your hand-picked candidates in the primary. You obviously have so many resources that you won’t need any from me. I’m keeping my money to fund individual candidates of my choosing, if there are any left.
Republicans give money to party committees to fight Democrats, not prop up cronies in primaries. This is a huge abuse of contributors. Berger is unfit for public office. All of the politicians he misspend contributor money on are establishment toadies who voted to repeal HB2 and support the Big Solar crony capitalist boondoggle.
Don’t give your money to ripofff party committees. Give it directly to good conservative candidates.
Your information is very misleading. The Senate caucus funds spent for mailers are reimbursed by each candidate. This is in order for candidates to take advantage of reduced mail rates. It is offered to all members in the caucus. For example, in Senate District 31 race, each candidate reimbursed the caucus for mailers.
Still have republican party money being used against other republicans. cheap mail is an unfair benefit for incumbents in primaries. no problem using it in a fight against the democrats. Question. do the politicians have their own accounts at party hq so they can tell which is “their” money?
Before the “:affiliated party committees”, the state party controlled the cheap mailing permit. This is a special permit, available only to state parties and national parties, with rates significantly lower than those of regular bulk rate permits. Under party control, this permit was not used unfairly to bolster one candidate or another in primaries. In Phil Berger’s hands, it clearly is being abused in primaries.
Since the return address and the disclaimer on these mailings is the Republican Senatorial Committee in Raleigh, these mailings also constitute an improper party endorsement. They stink to high heaven.
These affiliated party committees are NOT state parties. Their self-serving bill does not make it so. How in the world did they flim-flam the post office out of one of these permits? Did the state party object, as they should have? Dallas, you have some ‘splainin’ to do. If the party did not object, you have facilitated improper party involvement in primaries.