06/15/02

Columbus

- At Gov. Bob Taft's 10-room campaign headquarters, there are plans for a campaign video and a multimillion-dollar advertising blitz, and money is spent on luxury items such as flags, football tickets and flowers.

At his Democratic challenger Tim Hagan's Rocky River headquarters, volunteers are forced to stuff envelopes in the hallway because there isn't enough space in the cramped four-room office, which Hagan rents from an accounting firm. His press secretary yearns for just one good copy machine.

The Taft campaign has money to spend - lots of it. And the Hagan campaign is hurting.

Finance reports filed yesterday show the Republican governor's re-election effort has raised more than $2 million from April 18 to June 7 and has $7.7 million in the bank.

During the same time, Hagan - a Cleveland-area Democrat - collected $154,748, for a balance of $198,153.

Mindful that you sometimes must spend money to raise money, the Taft campaign's biggest expense - $72,138.34 - went to Mills James Productions, a Columbus firm that organized a May 10 fund-raiser hosted by President Bush. The event brought in $1.85 million in one day - more than all the statewide, non-judicial Democratic Party candidates raised this entire election season, finance reports show.

Taft's supporters say the fund-raising imbalance signals four more years of Republican rule.

"This certainly shows that Gov. Taft's supporters have faith in his ability to lead the state now, and through 2002," said campaign chair Jo Ann Davidson.

Money is not the only sign of a candidate's strength, but it historically has been a strong predictor of success. In the past two elections, statewide, non-judicial candidates who have raised and spent the most money have won the races.

Hagan downplayed Taft's fund-raising advantage, insisting that Taft's record - not his war chest - will persuade voters to make a change.

"This election is a referendum on Taft," Hagan said. "I just want enough money to make that case." He has about two dozen fund-raisers scheduled in the next three months, including one hosted by television talk show host Rosie O'Donnell and another planned by his wife, actress Kate Mulgrew.

For now, Hagan's campaign is reminiscent of his childhood as one of 14 siblings - it involves a lot of sharing, saving and crowded rooms.

To hoard money for a last-minute TV campaign (Hagan supporters say they'll need $2.5 to $3 million), the candidate avoids costly hotel stays.

He often crisscrosses the state in the same day, racking up gas charges at BP Oil and oil changes at Quick Change, according to expense reports. On overnight trips, he opts for modest lodgings such as the Super 8 Motel in Gallipolis. Or he stays with his brother in Columbus.

Hagan gets free help from an army of relatives, but his paid staff is bare-bones.

General consultant Gerald Austin's $5,000-per-month fee is the campaign's biggest expense - less than his normal rate, he said.

Austin earns less than Davidson, ($7,500 per month) and even less than Taft's press secretary, Orest Holubec (about $6,200 per month).

Along with high-priced staff members, the Taft campaign has spent money on other big-ticket items: $45,000 for polling; $30,138 for 250,000, full-color campaign brochures; and $6,500 per month to Greg Stevens, who will produce the campaign's political advertising, campaign reports show.

Like most other statewide campaigns, TV commercials are expected to be the biggest expense, Holubec said.

Taft spent nearly $11 million to win election in 1998, and Holubec said this campaign expects to spend about $12 million. Although the campaign is flush with cash, Holubec insists that it is frugal.

Both the Taft and Hagan campaigns pay $1,500 per month in rent. But a better deal is near for Hagan, who will begin sharing a larger office in downtown Cleveland next month with other statewide candidates. Taft's headquarters in Columbus are roomy, but Holubec is quick to note they are run-down. The floor tilts (to the right, he says), staff members share a unisex bathroom and volunteers are used whenever possible.

The volunteers deliver packages, stuff envelopes and paint signs - such as "Four More Years of Hope" - a reference to First Lady Hope Taft, and "Hunka Burnin' Gov" - inspired by a recent photo of Taft with an Elvis impersonator.

Volunteers who put in long hours are rewarded with prime seats to Ohio State University football games - tickets that cost the Taft campaign $3,600.

In other statewide races, Republicans continue to enjoy fund-raising advantages over Democrats, collecting more money in the contests for secretary of state, auditor and attorney general.

In the race for state treasurer, however, Democrat Mary Boyle raised more than Republican incumbent Joe Deters over the past seven weeks. Both had nearly identical fund balances. Still, Deters is well positioned for the fall campaign, having already paid $1.25 million to reserve TV time. Boyle, a former Cuyahoga County commissioner, has reserved no TV time.

Although Ohio Supreme Court candidates traditionally raise and spend less than other statewide contenders, the seat opened by retiring Republican Justice Andy Douglas is expected to be one of this year's most expensive, and contested, statewide races.

Democrat Tim Black, a Hamilton County Municipal Court judge, raised $200,725 since April, more than any of the Democratic candidates for the statewide offices. Black, running against Republican Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor, shows a bank balance of more than $638,300. O'Connor raised $328,608 during the period and is reporting more than $403,500 in available funds.

Plain Dealer reporter T.C. Brown contributed to this report.

Contact Sandy Theis at:

stheis@plaind.com, 800-228-8272