MAYORAL CANDIDATES HAVE SPENT $1.6 MILLION
"BARRETT, CLARKE, PRATT LOOK TO REACH UNDECIDED VOTERS WITH NEW TV ADS
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel - By Greg Borowski [4/11/2004]

"The 10 mayoral candidates already have topped $1.6 million in spending, but Milwaukee voters will be hearing plenty more from them before Tuesday's primary -- on TV and radio, as well as at their mailbox and doorstep.

The three candidates at the top of recent polls -- Tom Barrett, Marvin Pratt and David A. Clarke Jr. -- all are launching new TV ads in hopes of winning over undecided voters, a group that one poll put at 28%.

Meanwhile, Vincent Bobot and Tom Nardelli are continuing their less-intense TV push, while Arthur Jones has launched a radio ad, joining several others already pushing their message there.

And a group based in Grand Rapids, Mich., that advocates school choice has bought at least $50,000 of TV ad time starting today, presumably to tout Clarke, who has run behind Barrett and Pratt in money raised and spent.

It is believed to be the first time an outside group bought TV time to weigh in on a Milwaukee mayoral race.

Milwaukee voters will narrow the field Tuesday, with the top two advancing to the April 6 election.

Big money raised

All told, the 10 candidates have raised more than $1.9 million since the beginning of 2003. As a group, they spent more than $1.6 million and, as of Feb. 3, had a total of $713,415 on hand. Of that, $626,772 -- 88% -- was in the hands of Barrett, Pratt and Clarke.

The spending on a last blitz of TV ads, when combined with candidates working to get supporters to the polls, provides an unpredictable dynamic to a race that a recent Journal Sentinel and WTMJ-TV (Channel 4) poll showed is up for grabs.

The poll showed Barrett, a former member of the U.S. House, and Pratt, the acting mayor, both with support from 23% of likely voters. Clarke, the Milwaukee County sheriff, was next with 17%, making it statistically a three-man dead heat.

No one else registered more than 3%, though undecideds topped them all at 28%. The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points, suggested that more white voters than black voters are undecided, and more Democrats than Republicans or independents.

A wild card in the election may be turnout, since a contested Democratic presidential primary may bring more voters than usual to the polls. The presidential race could affect the mayor's race on TV as well because ads from presidential candidates get priority and can bump local races to less desirable spots.

Clarke began running his third TV ad of the campaign Tuesday, this one on crime. All three have taken aim at Barrett, who directly responded to the first two -- on education and taxes -- with ads criticizing Clarke's own record on the issue cited.

Outside ad dollars

Campaign finance reports filed Monday showed that Clarke spent about $50,000 on TV and radio ads in January. By way of comparison, a $49,000 campaign by the education group All Children Matter would nearly match that in a matter of days.

Several phone calls to the group's offices were not returned Tuesday. On its Web site, the group describes itself as "working to elect public officials who support school choice and education reform."

Its chairman is Richard DeVos, a school choice supporter whose family is active in Republican politics and causes.

Such "issue ads" from outside groups have become a common part of politics, but this is believed to be the first such spending in a Milwaukee mayoral race. The group's ad is expected to tout Clarke, but it also could be critical of other candidates.

Clarke campaign manager Jeremy Cole said Tuesday that he had never heard of the group. Clarke has positioned himself as the most avid supporter of private school choice in the race, even running an ad targeting Barrett on the issue.

Clarke's latest financial report shows several large "conduit" contributions from school choice advocates around the country, tallying at least $13,000. Such contributions are directed to a candidate by a political group, but are listed as a contribution from an individual.

Typically, when one outside group weighs in on a race, one on the opposite side enters as well, said Jay Heck of Common Cause in Wisconsin.

In the past, the Wisconsin Education Association Council has countered TV ad campaigns by school choice advocacy groups. One of the group's affiliates, the union representing Milwaukee Public Schools teachers, has endorsed Barrett.

"As long as they have the cash in hand, (groups) can produce ads very fast," Heck said.

Barrett's report showed about $167,000 spent on TV in January, plus about $57,000 on direct mail fliers, all of which have echoed his TV ads.

A new spot is scheduled to start running today.

Barrett also began running radio ads in recent days, concentrating largely on stations with a high number of African-American listeners.

In the ads, Eric Von -- a former local radio personality and current campaign staffer -- talks of Barrett's strengths, as do several African-American community leaders.

Pratt's new TV ad is similar to a radio ad, featuring cuts from Pratt's speech after he was sworn in as acting mayor Jan. 2. The TV ad, which began Tuesday, shows newspaper headlines touting accomplishments before ending with: "That was just the first month."

In January, Pratt spent about $77,000 on TV, primarily a biographical spot.

The other candidates have raised considerably less money, though several have been on TV. Nardelli, a longtime alderman, has been running spots touting his record on taxes. Bobot, a former Municipal Court judge, touts a similar message -- but with humor -- in a continuing spot.

Businesswoman Sandy Folaron spent nearly $37,000 on TV ads last year, but only $14,370 in January. Milwaukee Public Schools teacher John Pitta, with even less money, has begun running a spot aimed at younger voters, complete with a rap-style message.

Meanwhile, Jones has taken to the radio in recent days. His spots feature an announcer running through Jones' "starting five" issues and goals, such as improving economic development, accountability in education and improving neighborhoods. The ideas, along with Jones stating his position on them, are greeted with cheers.


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