Martha Robertson’s fundraising cloud just won’t go away in her challenge to Republican Tom Reed in NY-23.
Robertson raised funds based on the claim that GOP operatives were caught trying to take down her website during a critical fundraising period. She never has come forward with any proof, and broke her promise to hire a forensic computing investigator to find the evidence.
The local media is becoming increasingly frustrated with Robertson’s dodging the issue, as we mentioned yesterday.
Today Robertson was named to the prestigious “Red to Blue” list by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as reported in the Buffalo News:
Martha Robertson, the Democrat who’s challenging Rep. Tom Reed, R-Corning, this fall, got a big boost Monday when the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee named her to its “Red to Blue” program — signaling that she’s one of the top Democratic House challengers in the country.The Democratic campaign committee selects challengers for the Red to Blue program when they’ve shown strong ability to raise funds, build a campaign and present a credible alternative to voters.
This will signify increased money flowing into the district. Robertson also is getting fundraising help from NY Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and is an Emily’s List candidate.
My local sense is that it won’t make a difference, and not just because of Robertson’s fundraising cloud.
This is not the District of Maurice Hinchey, when the old NY-22 (since renumbered to NY-23) stretched like a snake from college town to college town to keep a left-wing ideology in office for decades. Redistricting gave geographic sense to the district, and turned it blue by several percentage points.
This is a largely rural district in which Robertson’s pro-single payer, pro-Obamacare agenda is unlikely to sell.
The fundraising scandal was Robertson’s introduction to the district, and it’s hard to change a first impression.
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