Virg Watch

Virg running for money

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With less than a month left until the Democratic gubernatorial primary, appeals from theVirg Bernero camp for money are coming harder than ever.

On Tuesday, an e-mail was sent out from the Bernero campasking that each supporter give $100 by July 1 so that it can be matched by thestate campaign fund (a pot ‘o money supplied by us taxpayers who choose tocheck the box to give $3 when we do our tax returns).

But, Bernero might not get the matching funds he could beeligible for.

The Legislature in 2007 took $7.2 million out of the fund tobalance a budget deficit. Right now, there’s only around $2 million in thefund. Candidates can get up to a 2-for-1 match on any donation they raise up to$100, and a total of $900,000, the Detroit News reported. According to thatpaper, all candidates but Rick Snyder (and Alma Wheeler-Smith, because shedropped out) plan to use matching funds.

Meanwhile, it is thought that Bernero challenger Andy Dillonhas a lot more money (we won’t know until campaign finance reports are releasedJuly 23) — he’s been running television commercials for a couple of weeks. TheBernero campaign has stated that it will roll out ads, but would not say when(it released a few Web ads).

A Detroit News article about the ramping up of campaignactivity quoted Bernero as saying his campaign would beat Dillon on the ground— meaning that he would rely on face to face time with voters, rather thanthrough the media.

Inside Michigan Politics publisher Bill Ballenger was quotedas saying, “If he's just relying on the ground game, he's dead meat. I don'tthink that's going to do it.”

Speaking of ads, the Michigan Republic Party released at Webad attacking Bernero, making fun of his “angriest mayor” moniker. TheRepublicans released a video earlier in the year, calling out the fact thatBernero has held office as a county commissioner, state representative, statesenator and mayor. Bernero actually touted the latest Republican attack againsthim in a fundraising letter and on Facebook.

In endorsements, Bernero picked up nods from the NationalOrganization of Women and Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, bothabortion rights groups. He also landed the Michigan Nurses Associationendorsement, the largest nurses’ union in Michigan. Dillon picked up anendorsement by the state Fraternal Order of Police, an organization formed in1915 with more than 320,000 members.

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