[ad_1]
The U.S. Senate campaign of Gary Chambers Jr. began with a bang.
In January, he openly smoked marijuana in an online ad, a bold move that generated a flood of news coverage – and with it, even more campaign donations.
But Chambers’ campaign appears to have lost steam, political observers say. Less than two weeks before early voting begins, Chambers hasn’t aired a single TV ad, though such commercials are the most effective way to reach voters statewide.
Chambers hasn’t been on TV partly because it’s a challenge to raise money as a Democrat taking on a popular GOP incumbent, Sen. John Kennedy. Luke Mixon, another Democrat challenging Kennedy, has faced the same headwinds.
But Mixon has already broadcast two TV ads after heading into the second half of the year with $584,000 in cash on hand versus $137,000 for Chambers.
In the second quarter, Chambers spent $4 for every $1 that he raised, much of it on campaign logistics.
But Chambers said the strength of his campaign cannot be measured by traditional metrics. He said the marijuana ad was seen by 30 million people, and his latest online ad – released Monday – has been seen by 2.2 million people across his social media platforms.
“Over the last 11 days, we’ve raised more than in the past month,” Chambers said in an interview, attributing it to a new online ad of his and a backlash by progressives to a recent TV ad by Kennedy in which he said that people who don’t like cops but need help ought to call “a crackhead.” Chambers called it racist.
The next campaign finance report for all of the candidates, due Saturday, will provide further clarity on the status of Chambers’ fundraising efforts.
Kennedy, a Republican in a red state, is heavily favored to win a second term. Conservative voters seem to love his one-liners mocking President Joe Biden; he has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump; and he had raised $36 million through September, far more than the Democratic candidates.
Still, Chambers and Mixon have every reason to want to be the top Democrat in the Nov. 8 primary.
One is that the second-place finisher would advance to a runoff with Kennedy on Dec. 10 if Kennedy doesn’t receive more than 50% of the vote in the primary.
And if Kennedy does win the primary outright, whoever finishes second will have a more credible chance to enter next year’s governor’s race as the Democratic standard-bearer. That matters because Democrats don’t have an obvious candidate.
A third Democrat challenging Kennedy is Syrita Steib, who assists women in finding jobs and housing after their release from prison. She has raised even less money than Mixon and Chambers and hasn’t launched any TV or online ads.
Chambers announced his candidacy in January and a week later broadcast the provocative ad where he puffed on a blunt while seated in a chair in a field across from City Park in New Orleans.
“Since 2010, state and local police have arrested an estimated 7.3 million Americans for violating marijuana laws, over half of all drug arrests,” Chambers told viewers. “Black people are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana laws than White people. States waste $3.7 billion enforcing marijuana laws every year.”
Paul Waldman promptly wrote a column in the Washington Post praising the Baton Rouge community advocate.
“Chambers’ ad is a significant marker in changing ideas about cannabis,” Waldman wrote. “He isn’t running as a joke; even if the odds are against him, he’s trying to be a serious candidate.”
Chambers followed up the weed spot three weeks later with another provocative online ad where he burned a Confederate flag while saying the system is stacked against Black people.
In all, Chambers raised $800,000 in the first quarter, some $300,000 more than Mixon.
By April, Chambers’ dominance was prompting calls from some Democrats for Mixon to quit the race.
But by midyear, Mixon’s campaign had gained its footing. With the endorsement of Gov. John Bel Edwards and the support of other centrist Democrats, Mixon raised more money than Chambers in the second quarter and had far more cash on hand.
In every campaign appearance, Mixon notes he had been a “Top Gun” pilot in the Navy and says that Kennedy is more concerned with uttering one-liners on Fox News than serving the needs of Louisianans.
A key reason Chambers had so little money by mid-year is that he spent heavily on campaign incidentals, including $14,000 on meals, $91,000 on videography, $56,000 on airfare, $14,000 on car rentals and $20,000 on security.
Chambers said that spending helped introduce himself to donors outside of Louisiana so that he can build a national campaign finance network that will power him to victory. He said he spent so much on security because burning the Confederate flag angered White supremacists.
Chambers acknowledged he won’t run any TV ads in the campaign’s final weeks. But he said he is well positioned to make the runoff against Kennedy because of the attention he generates on social media.
“Our message is penetrating,” Chambers said. “Everywhere I go in the state, people stop me.”
Bernie Pinsonant, a veteran Baton Rouge pollster and political consultant, is skeptical that Chambers can succeed without major advertising.
“Seventy percent of voters are 50 years old or older,” Pinsonat said. “Where do you reach those people? On TV. You don’t reach them through social media. It’s not as effective as TV.”
Chambers, though, said his unconventional social media campaign will bring non-voters out this year.
Ron Faucheux, a veteran pollster in New Orleans, said he is not discounting Chambers’ chances of performing better than expected but added, “You don’t activate voters by hoping they’ll vote. You have to get them enthused about the race.”
Mixon released a poll this week, paid for by his campaign, showing Kennedy with 53%, Mixon with 16% and Chambers with 8%. Chambers questioned the veracity of his opponent’s survey.
[ad_2]
Source link
