We've had to overcome a huge name-recognition problem right from the beginning. We had to spend money early and steadily to raise that recognition. Each event allowed Johnson to talk issues with a specific group of voters, but it also cost big bucks to send mailings to registered voters and cater each event, he said. By late February, Johnson realized he needed to customize his advertising and keep up with the daily costs of paying staffers to help run his campaign. Sometimes the donations lag behind the need for the expenditure.
Most candidates have to do that, especially near the end of the campaign.
You do what you need to do to get your message out, get the issues out. That's part of the sacrifice we put into this thing. Without the money from developers and special interests, I can focus on the Rockford agenda. The attorney and former president of the River District began raising money for the mayor's race in January 2000, long before other candidates. Morrissey said most of the early money was spent on salaries for consultants and other staffers, putting together a campaign that would ultimately focus on the 30 days before the election.