Wampum

Move over Primary Colors...

After I announced my candidacy for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives a few weeks back, a number of readers requested that I write about the process as I go along; I guess one could call it a "blogumentary".

Well, I've just completed the initial steps necessary for all Maine candidates to get their name on the ballot, for the June primary and/or the November general. Step one is the paper work; every candidate has to fill out the prerequisite forms: Campaign ethics pledge; agreement to abide by Clean Elections or other spending limits; and registration, providing name, address, phone, etc., of the candidate and the campaign treasurer. Quick segue on the importance of selecting a good treasurer. This person really performs two positions; one, besides being your general "accountant", your treasurer keeps you out of hot water with the state Ethics Commission, making sure all campaign reports are filed correctly and on-time; secondly, since your treasurer's name is on all campaign-related materials, it's generally a good idea to select someone well-respected in the community, to show you have support beyond your immediate family. [Note: I asked Burt Wartell, editor of the Maine Labor News to take the job - he also formerly held my position as treasurer of the Portland Dems, so I'm confident he's knows his way around campaign finance reporting.]

The next step in the campaign we completed just yesterday, getting the appropriate number of signatures on my nominating papers. This is essentially a case of going door-to-door, asking your neighbors to help put you on the ballot. They don't have to vote for you or hand you money. All you want is their John Hancock. Make sure, however, you ask if they're Democrats. Didn't think about that one when I first started gathering signatures at the polls on election day (special city council election.) Not only I did a get an unenrolled to two, even got a couple of Republicans.

After I appointed my treasurer, I could also begin to raise money. As I'll be explaining in depth tomorrow over on the campaign blog, I chose not to run as a Clean Elections candidate due in part to Maine's fiscal crisis, and in part as an attempt to draw attend to some serious, but fixable, flaws in very important legislation - both for Maine and the nation, as Maine was the first state to adopt public financing of certain elections. However, I do think that the phenomenon we've witnessed this year in Internet fundraising in small donations does lend credence to the argument that not all private financing leads to a candidate being beholdened to large contributors. Maine has helped by lower the campaign contribution limit to $250/individual. I've been personally thrilled with all the $5, $10 and $20 donations I've received. They do add up quickly.

Tomorrow, I'll have the signatures I gathered notarized (my spouse did his today, before he got on a plane to Rome for a week), and turn them into the city registrar for verification.

I did interview my first staff person last week, who came to this site when comrade Atrios announced my candidacy. Tom will have access to the campaign blog from time to time, and is an old Wellstone hand. My readers can now address all complaints to him. {grin}

Since I'm on 24-hour single-parent detail for the next week (see above re: spouse skipping off to Rome), I'll spend the time getting the voter list in shape, setting up town hall meetings, and taking the baby out during the day walking the district. And I need to find myself a press secretary.

[Update: Corrected a typo and clunky language.]

Posted by MB Williams at March 1, 2004 09:11 PM | TrackBack