TX SEN: Radnofsky Says Kelly Has A Right To Run

Barbara Ann Radnofsky, the Democratic Party’s 2006 U.S. Senate Nominee, was the most recent candidate who had to face Gene Kelly, who is a perennial candidate for U.S. Senate. With much discussion today on Kelly across the Blogosphere, Barbara Ann notes that, regardless of anyone’s feelings, it’s a bad idea to challenge someone’s candidacy:

I think 81 year old Gene Kelly has every right to run. We don’t want to set a precedent of challenging candidacy because of motive. (He gives money to the Dem Party every time he does run). What is important is our reaction.

I don’t believe my primary (which I won) or runoff (which I won with 60 percent) against him was disastrous. Recall that in the primary, I reserved most of my money and we learned what you can do with hard work and volunteers against a well-known name with mistaken identity. Sure, reserving money was a gamble, but it allowed me to spend almost every penny on direct voter contact when voter interest was higher. It allowed me to contact all 3Ds in Texas three times in the runoff.  We used him to gain attention, including national media coverage, and I received far more  attention from united, loyal Democrats than if I’d had no contest leading in to the general. The risk-taking paid off in an electon which many predicted would be yet another mistaken name win for Gene Kelly.  The activist democrats came together, and I am grateful to those Dems with the courage to endorse me pre-general.

Every penny saved was essential, as was the national attention which was a surrogate for money. It wasn’t enough to beat Hutchison, but is was a fight worth fighting. When these Republicnas go virtually unchallenged, they build massive war chests which make them even harder to beat. We are now starting to break the cycle.

Kelly’s many past victories, in primaries and in runoffs against legitimate candidates, are indeed reflective of mistaken identity for a beloved actor-singer-dancer.  But my experience in 2006 was a positive lesson in the importance of good direct mail. A first time  “Barbara Ann Radnofsky” running against a “Gene Kelly” can win decisively, in a state as big as Texas, at controllable runoff cost.

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