Campbell Campaign Manager: “We’re in Danger of Shutting Down Tom’s Campaign”
Tom Campbell announces his candidacy for the U.S. House during a U.S. Senate campaign rally for N.D. Rep. Kevin Cramer on Friday, Feb. 16, 2018, at the Ramada in Bismarck. Michael Vosburg / Forum Photo Editor
Tomorrow marks the end of the FEC’s reporting period for the upcoming April Quarterly report, and as you might expect the various federal campaigns in the state are carpet bombing supporters with donation requests in order to beef up their numbers ahead of the public disclosure.
Some of the messaging from the Campbell campaign, however, is a little troubling.
Yesterday the candidate himself put his name on a pretty typical plea for money, saying without an influx of money “our campaign is danger of not having the funds necessary to win.” Today, however, Campbell campaign manager Lucas Paper wrote a follow-up fundraising pitch which sounds far more dire.
“If we don’t meet our goal, we’re in danger of shutting down Tom’s campaign,” Paper writes in the email (full text below):
I reached out to Paper for comment but he didn’t immediately reply. I’ll update this post with anything I receive.
UPDATE: Paper sent me this via text: “It obviously could have been worded better, but it must a slow news day and we must be in campaign silly season if a standard fundraising email is the news of the day. The campaign is firing on all cylinders and we are excited to head into the convention next week.”
A marketing ploy? Maybe, but Campbell is a candidate trying to convince Republicans that he’s capable of holding North Dakota’s at-large House seat against what will be a strong challenge from Democrat Mac Schneider.
Telling supporters that the campaign is in danger of shutting down can’t be inspiring confidence.
Unless it’s just a ploy. In which case, now Campbell is lying to supporters for money?
Whoever approved this messaging should probably consider a career outside of politics. If the campaign is in danger of shutting down, they shouldn’t be advertising that fact to supporters. If it isn’t, well that’s just plain dishonest.
Campbell has struggled with fundraising. His last disclosure to the FEC showed he raised about $1 million for his campaign, but about three quarters of it came out of his own pocket.
Campbell is campaigning for the NDGOP’s endorsement for the U.S. House. Also campaigning for that endorsement is state Senator Kelly Armstrong, Marine veteran Tiffany Abentroth, and Minot residents Paul Schaffner and DuWayne Hendrickson.
Here’s the full email:
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