When I held the press conference to announce my official entry into the mayoral race, I had actually JUST completed opening up my campaign bank account, and I opened it with no money deposited, which actually I think was an oversight on their end, but it worked out well because we had no money to deposit. Nor did we have any money pledged.
Typically in a campaign at this level, that would not be the case of a serious candidate. I would guarantee that my top opponents launch with tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars given and/or pledged.
So a reasonable question to ask of me is why? Why did I start with a zero balance?
First let me assure you it wasn’t because I didn’t know how or didn’t have the contacts to raise comparable amounts of money. In my serving within MyBridge I have been successfully responsible for raising millions of dollars on an annual basis, for years!
My reason for doing things differently was very intentional!
The reason for my decision is articulated well in an ancient proverb…
“Do not pervert justice and show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Follow justice and justice alone…”
What history sure seems to give strong indication to is that money given on the front end tends to give a few affluent people influence beyond what most of us would be comfortable with in light of the responsibility of that leader to pursue the best interests, not of special interests, but of the people.
So I wanted to set my direction, craft my platform and articulate my intentions without a divided heart… either real or perceived. My stand for Lincoln is based solely on my belief of what is best for the people of Lincoln.
And as the people of Lincoln engage with my campaign, I believe ample giving, from the grassroots, will follow. And I’ll have all the resources needed to fund a successful campaign, agenda free!
