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Don Berwick Photo by: Angela Rowlings[/caption]
Steve Grossman has long been praised for his fundraising prowess, but it appears the lesser-known gubernatorial candidate, Don Berwick, is gaining serious steam and cutting into the state treasurer’s reputation as the Democrats’ top money man.
The latest campaign filings show Attorney General Martha Coakley leading the field with $172,000, with Berwick bringing in $156,000 and Grossman coming in last with $150,000.
The real story isn’t Coakley’s campaign cash win, but the momentum Berwick continues to enjoy. After nearly tying Coakley’s delegate count at the party’s state convention, the former Obama administration health care official is out-fundraising the party’s best fundraiser.
Many observers predicted Grossman would see a spike in contributions after his convention victory, but that doesn’t seem to be happening. He still has the largest war chest, but Berwick is now officially a thorn in his side.
The best way for Grossman to remove that thorn is to start spending some of the $900,000 sitting in his account to take down Berwick, while also making the case he’s the Democrats’ best hope — a tall order considering the front-running Coakley’s 25-30 point lead.
But Berwick has shown some real grass-roots appeal. In an email to supporters, he acknowledged their help, saying, “When I made the decision to run for Governor of Massachusetts, I knew that my pathway to victory would be creating the strongest grassroots organization in the state. Last month, when we needed to make a statement following the convention, we turned to you — our grassroots supporters. Thanks to you, we raised over $150,000 — proving that people are ready to make Massachusetts a beacon for the entire nation.”
Now the casino repeal ballot question could be the wild card that could lift Berwick’s fortunes. Millions of dollars will be funneled into the Bay State on both sides of this casino ballot question. Berwick had better hope that casino opponents will dig deep and get behind him.
As the anti-casino candidate, he will need to tag Coakley as the pro-gambling candidate. That shouldn’t be too hard, given the fact that the state’s highest court blew off the AG’s attempt to keep the repeal question off the November ballot.
Time — and the long summer slog to Labor Day — are not on Berwick’s side. He will need to catch lightning in a bottle fast.
Jaclyn Cashman co-hosts “Morning Meeting” from 9 a.m. to noon on Boston Herald Radio. Follow her on Twitter at @JaclynCashman.
Copyright © 2024 Jaclyn Cashman.
