In his run for Princeton Borough Council, Evan Baehr '05 has found campaign funding in some unexpected places. His contributors include local Republicans, Independents and Democrats, and extend all the way to his home state of Florida.
"Most of the people who are donating are familiar with local politics," Baehr said. However, over the summer Baehr hosted a fund-raiser with family and friends in Pensacola, Fla., which he estimated raised about $2,000.
The campaign will cost nearly $10,000, of which Baehr has already spent approximately $5,000.
Baehr said the major expenses in the campaign are literature and direct mail costs — he has already purchased three half-page advertisements in Town Topics for $600 each. Other costs include buttons and stickers.
Baehr also maintains a website, at a relatively small expense. The design of the website was donated, as was the design of the flyers he had printed. All of this "saved [me] a few thousand dollars" Baehr said.
The biggest expense of the campaign has been the palm-cards — double-sided glossy flyers promoting Baehr's candidacy. He said he plans to mail these to local voters, along with a letter and return envelope for contributions.
Baehr said he hopes to raise roughly $5,000 from this direct appeal to voters. He expects to be able to meet his campaign finance goal because "[the campaign is] unique because it's local; name identification is fairly high." Baehr said he also plans to make calls to recipients to personalize the palm-cards.
Baehr's funding drive began in April 2004 when he opened an account with funds from "a core group of Republican supporters" in the Borough, he said. With this initial amount, he was able to get his campaign started, but needed substantially more.
Over the summer, "I needed money and I was in Florida" where contributions averaged $100 from middle-aged conservatives, Baehr said.
In Princeton, his political base is different. Baehr said half his contributions come from Republicans and half from non-Republicans, all around ages 55 to 60.
He said his largest contribution so far was a check for $300.
Charles Lynch, Baehr's campaign treasurer, declined to comment about contributors' demographics, but added that he had not seen a donation larger than $250.
Baehr's campus campaign will begin the week before fall break, and will reach high-gear 72 hours before the election on Nov. 2.
He said he plans to host several events on campus, though he doesn't expect to raise much money.
However, any money raised by the events will be vital to his campaign. Baehr said he is "budgeting to the last minute," and turnover is very rapid.
"Every dollar I raise in the morning I turn around and spend that afternoon," he said.
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