Several media outlets have asked about the Club for Growth and Club for Growth PAC's involvement in the NY-23 special election. Below are some details, and here's a PDF version:
FINANCIAL NUMBERS:
Club for Growth PAC Independent Expenditures:
TV/Radio - $376,822
Mail, Phone, Other - $31,940
Subtotal - $408,762
Club for Growth Independent Expenditures:
TV - $184,688
Mail, other - $51,839
Subtotal - $236,514
Club and PAC Total - $645,276
Bundled Club member donations - $376,764 (2,546 donations)
GRAND TOTAL - $1,008,388
TIMELINE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS:
Sep 24, 2009 - Club releases poll that shows a statistical 3-way tie in NY-23
Sep 28, 2009 - Club PAC endorses Doug Hoffman in NY-23
Sep 28, 2009 - Fred Thompson is the first of what will much later become a parade of GOP leaders to endorse Hoffman
Oct 1, 2009 - Club PAC launches $250,000 TV and radio ad campaign ("Four of a Kind")
Oct 1, 2009 - Club PAC responds to Scozzafava's claim that our ad is false. We call it the Spitzer-Paterson-Scozzafava budget
Oct 6, 2009 - Club President Chris Chocola pens op-ed, "Politics and principle in upstate New York," in the Washington Examiner.
Oct 19, 2009 - The Club and the Club's PAC launch $300,000 ad campaign ("Tired of Choosing Between Two Liberals?")
Oct. 26, 2009 - Club releases poll showing Hoffman at 31.3%, Owens 27%, Scozzafava 19.7%
Oct. 27, 2009 - Club launches new TV ad ("It Comes Down to Two Very Different Candidates")
Nov. 2, 2009 - Club for Growth PAC funds phone calls from former Gov. George Pataki to 75,000 people district-wide.
TV SPOT COUNT (# of Ads Show on Broadcast TV in District from 9/24-10/30):
| Candidate/Committee |
# of Ads |
| Owens: |
2,088 |
| Club/Club PAC: |
1,597 |
| DCCC: |
1,592 |
| NRCC: |
1,520 |
| Hoffman: |
1,077 |
| Scozzafava: |
677 |
| AFSCME: |
236 |
| SEIU: |
147 |
| Common Sense: |
96 |
PRESS QUOTES:
Hoffman's success in driving Scozzafava from the race is being played as a "grass-roots" conservative rebellion in the district against the imposition of a moderate Republican nominee by party leaders. But the truth is that it was national money (notably from the conservative Club for Growth) and national muscle (from former House Majority Leader Dick Armey and Sarah Palin, among others) that prevented Scozzafava from ever having a chance.
-- E.J. Dionne, The Washington Post (Nov. 1, 2009)
The anti-tax group Club for Growth, whose endorsement of Hoffman in September provided the campaign its initial surge of momentum, also announced it would begin airing a new TV ad Tuesday in Watertown, Burlington, and Syracuse highlighting the differences between Hoffman and attorney Bill Owens, the Democratic nominee. Scozzafava is not mentioned.
-- Emily Cadei, CQ Politics (Oct. 27, 2009)
[I]ts $275,000 investment in the race has effectively turned it into one of the highest-profile races in the history of the Club for Growth, which has taken out centrist House Republicans and waged strong challenges to centrist senators like Arlen Specter (Pa.) and Lincoln Chafee (R.I.).
"It's always possible we'll spend more money, sure," Club Executive Director David Keating said.
-- Aaron Blake, The Hill (Oct. 3, 2009)
Heavy TV advertising by the Club for Growth, which is backing Hoffman, in all three major media markets has peeled conservative voters away from the Republican, and GOP insiders worry that the bleeding will continue.
-- Stu Rothenberg, Roll Call (Oct. 13, 2009)
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.