Thursday, October 5, 2017

GONZALEZ "DUSTING UP" CHRISTINA HAGAN IN 16TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT GOP BATTLE?

ON

CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISING

FACTOR


Cleveland.com has an advance report from the Anthony Gonzalez campaign (a press release) chortling about the campaign's apparent "dusting up" of Stark County's Christina Hagan (a Republican from Marlboro Township, currently a state representative representing Ohio's 50th Ohio House District) on campaign finance fundraising for the current quarter in their competing campaigns to determine whom 16th congressional district Republicans will select as the GOP nominee to succeed current congressman Jim Renacci (abandoned his congressional seat to run for Ohio governor) in the general off year elections of 2018.

Quarterly reports by federal office seeking candidates are due to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) for third quarter fundraising as of September 30th and should be available in detail to the public on or about October 15th.

In third quarter reporting, it appears Gonzalez will be showing some $525,000 in fundraising.

Nothing from the Hagan campaign in the Cleveland.com article.

The Hagan campaign silence is deafening, no?

Which The Stark County Political Report thinks means that Hagan, who told local Republicans she planned to raise $1.5 million for the May 8, 2018 Republican 16th congressional district primary election ($15/16 million if she wins the primary through the November general election), is in a campaign tailspin which might cause her to rethink running for re-election as state representative.


Tom Patton (currently a state representative) of Strongsville is another Republican who is seeking the GOP nod in May.  His name likely is the politically strongest in the Republican line up in the early stages of the campaign.  The SCPR thinks he is more likely to being slugging it out with Gonzalez as we get nearer to May, 2008 than Stark County's Christina Hagan, who, by the way, DOES NOT LIVE in the 16th.  Rather she lives in the 7th represented by Republican Bob Gibbs.


Back when as a legislator she participated as a matter of legislative act in voting for the above-configured every ten year redistricting as required by the U.S. Constitution, she thought it was a great idea to have Stark split up among three congressional districts. 

Formerly, Stark County "as a whole" was in the 16th.

Moreover, she did not have the foresight to see that she might one day want to run for the 16th congressional district seat and thereby missed an opportunity to insist that the 16th be moved a few miles east to put her home in the 16th.

One of her greatest political vulnerabilities now is the FACT she does not live in the 16th.

A case of "poetic justice," no?

Early campaign fundraising is critically important to the likes of Gonzalez (new to office seeking) for novice candidates must build up what politicos call "name I.D." with voters.

The way to overcome being a relative political unknown is in garnering "earned media" (e.g. putting out a press release showing his third quarter fundraising of some $525,000 whereas his main competitor remain silent) and, of course, using the "early" money advantage itself (EMILY—early money is like yeast—in media/campaign literature buys effectively used to build up name recognition on the part of targeted voters.

He too is not doing a high five over third quarter campaign financing numbers which suggests that he has to ramp it up big time if he is to be competitive with Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has impressive credentials, the most interesting of which to the SCPR is that he was a philosophy major at The Ohio State University as he was starring on the gridiron for the Buckeyes on his way to a National Football League stint with the Indianapolis Colts.

Could Gonzalez be a politician who can think?

The Lord be praised, no?

Unless, of course, you deem yourself to be a handmaiden of the Lord a la Christina Hagan!

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