Candidates Go On Hunger Strike, Jack Daniels Woos Reporters With Booze and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 19

Open Secrets (2010-08-19) Evan Mackinder

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Candidates Go On Hunger Strike, Jack Daniels Woos Reporters With Booze and More in Capital Eye Opener: August 19

By Evan Mackinder on August 19, 2010 10:10 AM

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from around the world of money in politics:

HUNGRY FOR CHANGE: For little-known candidates facing well-financed incumbents, a malnourished campaign is a reality: Without money or the attention of the media, the sad truth your candidacy will often starve itself into oblivion before you can even reach Election Day.

Two such candidates in the race for California’s 52nd District, however, seem to have found a way to turn their disadvantage into a teachable moment -- by going on hunger strikes.

Claiming incumbent Republican Duncan Hunter is stonewalling the candidates by refusing to engage in a series of eight debates in August, Democrat Ray Lutz and Libertarian Mike Benoit are in their first week of a planned 10-day protest. And there's sign that it may be working -- to an extent. Their ability to turn a dearth in resources into a living metaphor has earned both candidates some media coverage, as they’ve been picked up this week by the New York Times, Politico and several other political blogs.

Still, according to the Times, Hunter, who is in his first re-election race after inheriting the congressional seat from his father (who is also named Duncan Hunter), hasn't budged from his agreement to just a few debates.

The incumbent congressman has a significant lead in the money race. Having raised more than $562,000, Hunter had $93,339 at the end of June, compared to just Lutz's $6,037. Mike Beloit has yet to file campaign finance reports with the Federal Election Commission -- typically a sign that the candidate simply has no money to report.