On Friday, GOP Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Mead Treadwell announced that he raised $124,000 during the first quarter of the year, which runs from January through March. He also put in $175,000 of his own money because, “Alaskans deserve a Senator who has worked in and served our state for four decades, and one who understands the unique challenges we face,” he said in a release.
The Alaska Dispatch reported that Treadwell had $140,000 cash on hand. Joe Miller, another GOP candidate, announced that he raised $101,000 during the same quarter and has $300,000 cash on hand, much of which is money rolled over from his 2010 run. Miller is running a much different, much more grassroots campaign than is Treadwell, and has the tea party faithful faithfully behind him. Miller officially announces his candidacy on Monday.
The other Republican candidate, former DNR Commissioner Dan Sullivan, clearly the establishment’s choice, raised a whopping $1.4 million and has just under $2 million cash on hand, even though he’s been in the race for far less time than has Treadwell. Treadwell set up an exploratory committee in December 2012, and officially announced last June. Sullivan skipped the exploratory phase and officially announced in October.
Fundraising has not been Treadwell’s strong suit. And it’s not for lack of trying. He crisscrossed the country in 2013 trying to raise money. According to documents given to me, he had at least 15 fundraisers in the Lower 48, not including the numerous events he’s had in Alaska. In September, he hired high-powered, D.C.-based Lisa Spies to help him raise funds. She is now said to have left the campaign, as has most of Treadwell’s paid staff, including a campaign manager and two spokespeople. Most recently, Fred Brown left the campaign to work for the RNC in Arkansas.
Word is that Treadwell is getting pressure from some national Republicans to drop out of the race, and to support Sullivan. However, he has said that he has no plans to do so, and that he’s convinced that if he can get through the primary, he can leverage his 40 years of experience in Alaska and win the race.
Contact Amanda Coyne at amandamcoyne@yahoo.com
People tire of hearing of Arctic policy and law of the sea at their own peril. Treadwell speaks of these things because he understands the huge potential they hold for Alaska. Have you noticed Sullivan and Miller never speak of these things? Much better to simply sling mud and parrot ideologically rigid nonsense, right?
Sounds like a bunch of Sullivan lackies regurgitating the same hollow talking points here. Or maybe it’s one lackey with multiple IDs.
Let me get this straight. Treadwell has a slight lead in the polls. Sullivan and his surrogates then burn through $1m and see no movement in his support. And somehow this means that Treadwell is a loser and should drop out? You all need to buy a better quality of meth if you think this makes sense.
As one of the few members of the GB Bush legal team who did not merit a war crimes indictment, Sullivan may well be able to rely on his Dubya cronies and Beltway bandit buddies for fundraising, but all Treadwell needs to do in return is open up his own checkbook. The guy is of independent means and can afford to be a bad fundraiser, at least through the primary. After he sends Sullivan packing back to the East Coast in the primary, the Republican Election Complex will fund him through the general election.
When it’s all said and done, I would’t be surprised to find out that Treadwell and Begich were in cahoots all along.
“Fundraising has not been Treadwell’s srtong suit”.
This is an understatement. Unfortunately for Treadwell, his problems are not limited to fundraising. His campaign manager quit, two communications staffers quit as did his national fundraising consultant. I suspect they all wanted to get off an irreversible sinking ship. All of the individuals who left, I hear, are now working on other senatorial campaigns around the country. When he spoke to the Juneau women’s luncheon, it was the worst attended luncheon they hosted all year. Meanwhile, Sullivan picks up more and more support from both in-state and out. For a guy who likes to tell people how smart he is, I’m sorry that I don’t see it.
I am intrigued by the point raised here in the comment section by Tom. I have a real problem with Treadwell’s lack of ethical conduct. I am appaulled that he feels entitled to campaign on the state dime. Any way you look at this, its just plain wrong. In fact, I would like to see an independent investigation into the matter to detrmine its legality. Has anyone tracked his outside travel to fundraisers to see if it was coupled or attached to state business? Given his obvious lack of scrupples this is a legitimate question and concern. If Treadwell had any sort of a moral compass, I would think he would have cut his pay to mirror the time he put in his job as opposed to being on the campaign trail. His behavior is unforgiveable and wrong. It is people like this that gives good politicians a bad name.
I had no idea how bad off Treadwell’s campaign was. When your staff is jumping ship and your coffers are virtually empty, you have problems.
There’s an old adage in politics: when you need to release bad news, do it on a late friday afternoon when it will get little media attnetion. Well, at least we know that Treadwell intuitively knows that his FEC finance report was exceptionally poor.
I agree with everything Tom and Ellen wrote.
40 years of public service? Are you kidding me? You served as Deputy Commissioner of the Dept of Environmental Conservation and a term as lite governor. Much of your term as lite governor as been dedicated to your campaign for senate. Frankly, I feel that it is criminal that you continue to collect a state paycheck when you spend 90%+ of your time campaigning. Your moral compass on this alone leaves a lot to be desiired. Your comments about Alaskkans appreciating your public service is as much a lie, as evidenced by the lack of support you have, as your claim of 40 years of public service. Your campaign staff deserted you. Your campaign fundraiser, one of the best in the country quit, realizing that the public’s support for you is miniscule. Election day will show how little support you have. That will be the day your lies and fantasies are debunked and the truth be told.
Mead Treadwell is a nice guy; however, he continues to prove that Alaskans just aren’t interested in his candidacy. Hiis fundraising performance continues to ne pathetic. He doesn’t realize that Alaskans aren’t attracted to politicians that flip+flop on the issues or change their posiitions based on what group they are speaking to. Additionally, they get sick of hearing about Arctic polic, Laws of the Sea and what’s going on in Iceland. These are NOT the issues that the majority of Alaskans care about and this is pretty much all Treadwell talks about.
At this point, Treadwell’s candidacy is little more than a sad situation for him personally. His continued candidacy, which speaks legions about his self-centered and selfish personality, only helps to insure Senator Begich’s reelection. I am quickly losing respect for Mead. He’s turning out to be a politician who puts his personal interests before the state’s and his party. Wake up Mead, your candidacy has failed. If you continue down this path, I suspect that history will paint you with your true colors of deceit, selfishness and peersonal greed.