send to a friend | print | comment

For Wagner, the challenge could be in the raw politics

Jack Wagner has been winning elections for years, from his time as a Pittsburgh City Councilman and state Senator in the 1990s to his record-setting vote totals in last year’s reelection as state Auditor General. But throughout all his time in politics, Wagner has never had a reputation a heavy-hitting campaign fundraiser and organizer. And as he nears a bid for the Governor’s Mansion, political insiders increasingly wonder if Wagner will be able build the war chest and the statewide political apparatus that’s likely needed to win an expensive statewide race.

The early indications are that he has a deep hole to dig himself out of. His main political rival, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, has already put together a considerable team nine months before the Democratic primary. Philadelphia businessman Tom Knox has done the same. Onorato has almost $5 million in campaign cash, and Knox is expected to dip heavily into his own wallet to fund his candidacy.

Wagner’s political team is coming together more slowly. His sister-in-law still handles press inquiries, whereas other candidates have at least one person trying to push campaign narratives on reporters. And Wagner raised only $10,000 in the month following this year’s primary, finishing the period in June with about $325,000 in cash on hand, according to campaign finance data.

“Jack has always had a challenging time raising money,” said Bill Green, a Pittsburgh political analyst who has known Wagner for almost 30 years. “He just doesn’t have the knack for it that some people do, and he’s never had the right staffers to do it.”

Added G. Terry Madonna, a pollster and political scientist at Franklin & Marshall College: “I don’t think he’s been particularly close to the people who are the big fundraisers in the party.”

Wagner does have some things going for him that other candidates don’t. He’s been on a statewide ballot twice. He’s the only person to ever beat Onorato in an election, besting him in a special election for a state Senate seat 15 years ago. A Vietnam War veteran, he has support from military veterans that is unlikely to be matched. And the bully pulpit of his office has allowed him to criticize the fiscal policy of the Rendell administration while offering up his own prescriptions.

“In a sense, Wagner’s been preparing to run for governor for a long time by virtue of what he’s done in state government,” Madonna said. “He’s able to understand the issues without having to spend much time on it.”

But while money isn’t everything, winning a statewide race without it will be daunting. His meager total thus far has led some of his political critics to quietly scoff at his prospects.

In a recent interview with pa2010.com, Wagner expressed confidence that he could build on the political organization that swept him to reelection last year. He said he had hired a political adviser and was continuing to put together a team. But mostly, he emphasized that his political credentials should be seen in his long public service.

“Good government is good politics,” he said. “I think our results on Election Day spoke volumes. We had an excellent organization in place. We will expand upon that in a future race for governor.”

And Wagner promised to be an issues-first candidate.

“Addressing the issues is what the public wants a good candidate to do,” he said. “This is more about the issues than about the politics.

“I am devoting my time to my job, and doing what I believe are some excellent audits that make a series of recommendations to better manage the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Wagner added.

Whether that will be enough remains to be seen. A recent internal poll released by the Knox campaign showed Wagner in a tight race with Onorato. But whereas Onorato is mostly unknown beyond his Allegheny County base, Wagner has had a longer time on the statewide stage and may not have as much room to grow his name recognition.

If Wagner’s fundraising does eventually take off, and time is short, the sky’s the limit.

“He’s won statewide in a very big way but his downside is organization and fundrasing,” Green said, “and if he could turn the corner on those, he could very well be unstoppable.”

August 11, 2009 at 10:55 am

--Dan Hirschhorn

Tags: Dan Onorato, Jack Wagner, Tom Knox

comments

comments [9] | post a comment