PHOENIX (By Chip Scutari and Robbie
Sherwood, Arizona Republic) February 3, 2006 — Len Munsil, the
conservative activist who built up one of the country's largest
pro-family advocacy groups, has stormed out of the gates in the
Republican race for governor.
The other Republican candidates have struggled to build their war chests or grab widespread support, making it appear that Munsil could be the only viable contender at this point to challenge Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2006. While she is planning to run, Napolitano has not filed campaign paperwork or started to raise Clean Elections funds.
In one month, Munsil raised $47,000 in start-up cash, which is the limit allowed under Arizona's system of publicly financed elections. His fund-raising skills and organizational prowess have catapulted him to front-runner status in the Republican primary.
The latest fund-raising figures reflect money raised through Dec. 31. The filing deadline was Tuesday.
Napolitano,who enjoys a 60 percent approval rating in the polls, is expected to be a heavy favorite in the race.
The ability to raise money quickly has always been an indicator of campaign health even in this age of Clean Elections. On Jan. 16, Munsil's campaign Web site had a bright-red scrolling message that read: "PLEASE DON'T SEND ANY MORE SEED MONEY! WE ARE MAXED OUT." Munsil's extensive grass-roots group of supporters and organizational skills, which were honed as the president of the Scottsdale-based Center for Arizona Policy, could help him break away from the pack.
"It sends a message that there are a lot people out there who support my candidacy," said Munsil, who is expected to do an official announcement speech in mid-February. "It's been a lot broader, more enthusiastic and rapid than I anticipated."
The six other Republican candidates, some of whom have recently announced, aren't finding the same kind of success in raising their so-called "seed money" to qualify as publicly funded candidates. Meanwhile, the Munsil momentum is not going unnoticed by Republicans or Democrats.
"Len Munsil has certainly added some contrast, sharpness and tint to a rather dull GOP primary picture," said Barry Dill, a top Napolitano adviser. "However, September is a long way away, and Gov. Napolitano will continue to pursue her mainstream, common-sense approach to governance no matter which candidate the Republicans choose."
Raising seed money is supposed to be the easy part for gubernatorial candidates before they have to collect 4,200 contributions of $5 from registered voters to qualify for about $454,000 each in Clean Elections funding. Former Senate President John Greene,who has been campaigning since June, has raised just $7,130 and he only has than $700 left in his campaign coffers.
"Things will pick up, I'm fairly certain of that," Greene said. "It is a struggle, but we're going to push on. We've just been spending our time trying to meet and visit with people, and we haven't been putting the emphasis on fund-raising that we should, but we will."
Supporters of Don Goldwater, a Republican activist with a legendary last name and hard-line stance on illegal immigration, hoped those attributes would turn him a formidable candidate. That hasn't happened yet. He has raised less than $14,000 since he announced in August. Jan Smith Florez, a retired judge who entered the race in November, has mustered nearly $7,000 in contributions.
"I just don't know rich people," Smith Florez said. "I'm just working on this. I'm real pleased."
"I don't take that away from (Munsil), I congratulate him," Greene said. "Those are very interested and intense Republican voters, but we have a much broader universe of citizens out there and viewpoints, and we need to talk to those people."
Longtime Republican strategist Kurt Davissaid Munsil has had an impressive start but it's too early to call him a front-runner.
"Now he has to use the ability to raise that seed money and transfer that into actual votes," Davis said. "The political annals of history are littered with candidates that have raised money out of the gate but failed to catch fire with voters."
Most political insiders are giving the early edge to Munsil, an outspoken social conservative who once edited ASU's State Press with a Reaganesque tilt.
"At this point in the race, other candidates should be very concerned that they do not have that type of commitment towards their own candidacy," said GOP consultant Bert Coleman. "It is obvious that Len Munsil has the grass-roots support to sustain a credible campaign for the Republican nomination."
The other Republican candidates have struggled to build their war chests or grab widespread support, making it appear that Munsil could be the only viable contender at this point to challenge Democratic Gov. Janet Napolitano in 2006. While she is planning to run, Napolitano has not filed campaign paperwork or started to raise Clean Elections funds.
In one month, Munsil raised $47,000 in start-up cash, which is the limit allowed under Arizona's system of publicly financed elections. His fund-raising skills and organizational prowess have catapulted him to front-runner status in the Republican primary.
The latest fund-raising figures reflect money raised through Dec. 31. The filing deadline was Tuesday.
Napolitano,who enjoys a 60 percent approval rating in the polls, is expected to be a heavy favorite in the race.
The ability to raise money quickly has always been an indicator of campaign health even in this age of Clean Elections. On Jan. 16, Munsil's campaign Web site had a bright-red scrolling message that read: "PLEASE DON'T SEND ANY MORE SEED MONEY! WE ARE MAXED OUT." Munsil's extensive grass-roots group of supporters and organizational skills, which were honed as the president of the Scottsdale-based Center for Arizona Policy, could help him break away from the pack.
"It sends a message that there are a lot people out there who support my candidacy," said Munsil, who is expected to do an official announcement speech in mid-February. "It's been a lot broader, more enthusiastic and rapid than I anticipated."
The six other Republican candidates, some of whom have recently announced, aren't finding the same kind of success in raising their so-called "seed money" to qualify as publicly funded candidates. Meanwhile, the Munsil momentum is not going unnoticed by Republicans or Democrats.
"Len Munsil has certainly added some contrast, sharpness and tint to a rather dull GOP primary picture," said Barry Dill, a top Napolitano adviser. "However, September is a long way away, and Gov. Napolitano will continue to pursue her mainstream, common-sense approach to governance no matter which candidate the Republicans choose."
Raising seed money is supposed to be the easy part for gubernatorial candidates before they have to collect 4,200 contributions of $5 from registered voters to qualify for about $454,000 each in Clean Elections funding. Former Senate President John Greene,who has been campaigning since June, has raised just $7,130 and he only has than $700 left in his campaign coffers.
"Things will pick up, I'm fairly certain of that," Greene said. "It is a struggle, but we're going to push on. We've just been spending our time trying to meet and visit with people, and we haven't been putting the emphasis on fund-raising that we should, but we will."
Supporters of Don Goldwater, a Republican activist with a legendary last name and hard-line stance on illegal immigration, hoped those attributes would turn him a formidable candidate. That hasn't happened yet. He has raised less than $14,000 since he announced in August. Jan Smith Florez, a retired judge who entered the race in November, has mustered nearly $7,000 in contributions.
"I just don't know rich people," Smith Florez said. "I'm just working on this. I'm real pleased."
Early success
Greene said that the strong early fund-raising success of Munsil and what he suspects will be a similar showing for Napolitano should not be mistaken for broad support. Napolitano is an incumbent and Munsil has been building an organization for more than a decade with the Center for Arizona Policy, Greene said."I don't take that away from (Munsil), I congratulate him," Greene said. "Those are very interested and intense Republican voters, but we have a much broader universe of citizens out there and viewpoints, and we need to talk to those people."
Longtime Republican strategist Kurt Davissaid Munsil has had an impressive start but it's too early to call him a front-runner.
"Now he has to use the ability to raise that seed money and transfer that into actual votes," Davis said. "The political annals of history are littered with candidates that have raised money out of the gate but failed to catch fire with voters."
Way of the future
The tale of the tape for GOP gubernatorial candidates is the latest example of how the Arizona's Clean Elections law has rocked the status quo as the governor's campaign and other statewide political races get rolling. Despite the time-consuming challenge of getting piles of $5 contributions, so-called "Clean" candidates are finding it's the way of the future in statewide politics.Most political insiders are giving the early edge to Munsil, an outspoken social conservative who once edited ASU's State Press with a Reaganesque tilt.
"At this point in the race, other candidates should be very concerned that they do not have that type of commitment towards their own candidacy," said GOP consultant Bert Coleman. "It is obvious that Len Munsil has the grass-roots support to sustain a credible campaign for the Republican nomination."
