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Jul 20, 2008

USA Today - House Dems plan widespread voter outreach

WASHINGTON — Voters in at least 50 congressional districts across the country can expect a lot of attention from the national Democratic Party this fall.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee plans to announce Monday a program called "Mobilize to Change" to target undecided voters with phone calls, mailings and visits from volunteers.

The Democratic committee, which maintains a more than 6-to-1 financial advantage over its Republican counterpart, will hold a "national day of action" July 26 — 100 days before the election — to encourage campaign staffers to reach more voters.

The DCCC has spent about $9 million on such voter outreach efforts, the same amount it spent for the entire 2006 election cycle, says Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., who chairs the committee. The Democrats have contacted about 2 million voters via in-person visits or phone calls, and the DCCC hopes to contact 13 million households by Nov. 4, he said.

"By starting earlier, you're starting at a time when people are not yet being fully bombarded" by political messages, Van Hollen said. "You can set yourself apart from the crowd, and you have a much better chance of having your message heard."

The GOP counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee, plans its own voter outreach program, spokesman Ken Spain says. The Republicans have a lot less money to spend.

The DCCC had $54.7 million on hand at the end of June after raising $8.6 million last month, spokeswoman Jennifer Crider said.

The Republican committee raised $6 million in June and had $8.5 million available, Spain said.

The Democrats' advantage in congressional races is partially offset by the fundraising prowess of the Republican National Committee, which along with state party committees has traditionally taken a larger role in GOP get-out-the-vote efforts.

The RNC reported having $68.7 million on hand at the end of June, more than three times the Democratic National Committee's $20.3 million.

"We will continue to work hand-in-glove with the Republican National Committee and state parties to ensure that our candidates running down-ballot benefit from a strong and robust voter turnout effort," Spain said in an e-mail.

The Democrats seek to increase the majority they gained in the House of Representatives in the 2006 elections. In addition to the financial disadvantage, House Republicans are dealing with a raft of resignations and retirements that means the party will have to defend 36 open House seats compared with 12 for the Democrats.