Rep. Tom Perriello's, D-Charlottesville, campaign for congressional re-election raised $600,000 during the first fundraising quarter of 2010, making this the most successful fundraising quarter ever for the re-election effort, according to a Sunday press release from Perriello campaign officials.
The new record continues the campaign's history of financial success, as it so far has raised $1.4 million, according to the press release. Contributions have come in from all 22 localities of Virginia's fifth congressional district, which Perriello represents. The campaign has focused on an "aggressive, grassroots" effort to attract individual donations of $200 or less at a time, with the intention of "rejecting funds from federal lobbyists and corporate [Political Action Committees]," according to the press release.
Overall, however, Perriello's success has come from his ability to represent a moderate district, said Isaac Wood, communications director at the Center for Politics and former Cavalier Daily opinion columnist.
"He was able to take stances on both liberal and conservative sides and still raise this type of money," Wood said. "He certainly has not delighted liberals all the time but he has still had a fantastic fundraising quarter."
But Perriello's campaign finance director Anna Scholl stated in the press release that the increase in campaign contributions from small donors is a result of the support that working-class families have given the congressman.
"We are both humbled and thrilled to see such an outpouring of support from so many small donors who are going head-to-head with powerful Washington special interests," Scholl said.
Some of Perriello's opponents, however, may not necessarily be surprised about the relatively greater fundraising success the incumbent has enjoyed.
"We have not made fundraising a priority," said Christopher McGuire, field coordinator for the campaign of Jim McKelvey, one of the seven candidates for the Republican nomination. "Our donors have been individuals who have come into the office and felt they would like to send in a check."
Moreover, the difference in fundraising success may have been exacerbated by the fact that the majority of funds received by McKelvey's campaign have been district-specific, McGuire said.
"We do not believe this to be true of Periello," he said.
This claim is a common Republican assertion against Perriello, Wood said, but information revealing the congressman's funding sources will be released soon.
"In the end, all dollars are created equal," Wood said. "It doesn't matter where they came from; they're all worth the same amount."
Regardless of its ultimate cause, Perriello's success with attracting individual donations is not novel. A report last year from the Federal Elections Commission shows, for example, that Perriello's campaign was ranked 48 among House re-election campaigns in terms of number of contributions from individuals for a total of $661,004.
Scholl said she hopes the level of financial support seen during the past quarter will translate into political support for Perriello in this November's elections.
"This unprecedented outpouring of support shows that people recognize Congressman Perriello's outstanding record of standing up for the middle class and that they are excited to re-elect him in November," Scholl stated in a press release.
Wood said he does not expect any of the Republican opponents to be able to compete with Perriello's fundraising base but added that the discrepancy in funds may not predict the election's final results.
"It will be tough translating the support he clearly has into votes," Wood said. "Money doesn't win elections; votes do"
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