Baesler's 18-point loss to Republican Ernie Fletcher probably marked the end of the Democrat's long political career. But his debt-repayment plans seal his political fate, Rovira said. Rovira compared Baesler's case to another involving a former 6th District congressman. Hopkins had been in office long enough that he was grandfathered into an old law allowing congressmen to keep unspent campaign funds for themselves if they left office. Amid cries from campaign watchdog types, that's exactly what Hopkins did.
Candidates can no longer pocket leftover campaign funds.
But using a congressional campaign surplus to pay back an old Senate debt is OK, even if a big chunk of the debt is owed to the candidate himself, according to the Federal Election Commission. A candidate can also donate unspent funds to charity or a political party or refund them to contributors. Baesler said he doesn't intend to refund contributions. During the 2000 campaign, Fletcher often accused Baesler, a former three-term congressman, of running in part to repay his debt. But Baesler and his staff always dismissed the issue, saying the House and Senate campaigns weren't related.