Episode 3: Fina and Campaign Finance

(photo of Congressman Ted Lieu with former Congressman Henry Waxman and wife, courtesy of Kitty Felde)

It takes a lot of money to run for Congress.

How much money?

Arturo Mendoza represents California's 34th congressional district. In real life, that office belongs to Jimmy Gomez. According to Open Secrets, the non-profit that tracks money in politics, the Gomez campaign has raised more than a million dollars this election cycle. Sound like a lot? It’s less than half the average amount raised by House candidates nationwide: $2.64 million.

Some of the money comes from donations from friends and fans. The bulk comes from outside sources. Congressman Gomez sits on the House Ways and Means subcommittees that deal with health and worker issues. The bulk of his contributions come from insurance companies and labor unions.

Then there’s the outside spending. There’s been no limit on how much PACs, or political action committees, can raise and spend on campaigns since the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

(image courtesy of The Huntington)

Campaign spending is nothing new. George Washington spent nearly $200 on punch and hard cider for friends before the 1757 election where he was running for the Virginia House of Burgesses. The legislature responded by outlawing gifts to voters of “money, meat, drink, entertainment.”

But not donuts.

I wonder whether George Washington put a few shillings down to pay for donuts to go with that punch and hard cider?

He're’s the fiction inspired by the facts:

In Episode 3 of The Fina Mendoza Mysteries, Papa proposes an idea for a fundraiser for his re-election campaign.

PAPA: It takes a lot of money to run for Congress,

Fina recounts all the things a political campaign spends its money on:

FINA: “All those lawn signs and bumper stickers … and donuts for the volunteers who go door to door to register voters and ask them to vote for Arturo Mendoza! Volunteers sure eat a lot of donuts.

PAPA: They’re doing the hard work, Fina. Grass roots democracy, you could say.

FINA: They should call it donut democracy!”