What are fundraising “deadlines”?

Have you ever wondered why candidates for public office send supporters requests for contributions to beat “the deadline” and wondered what that really meant?

Here’s why:

In California, all candidates are legally required to disclose their contributions and expenses twice per year on June 30^th and December 30^th. For public transparency purposes, this information becomes a public record.

Obviously, candidates raise funds to communicate with voters, and the more they raise, the more effective they will be with voter outreach.

Filing a strong financial report, aside from public transparency, also sends a signal about the viability of the candidate. A campaign will be perceived as strong or weak depending on how much was raised.

A strong financial report will also encourage many who may have been taking a “wait and see” approach to donate and lend their support.

Moreover, a strong financial report may discourage other potential candidates from joining the race.

As you can imagine, as Los Angeles County Assessor, my office is not as high profile as the positions of senator, congressmember or mayor, and I have to work even harder to raise the needed funds. I can tell you honestly that it was much easier for me when I was campaigning when I was a city councilmember than it is as Assessor, despite being only one of three countywide elected officials representing more than 10 million residents.

So, I am joining the long list of candidates making this urgent appeal to you, hoping that you will help me raise as much as I can by June 30^th. I am $27,000 away from meeting my goal for the next two weeks and would be grateful for your support!

Can you please help?

Sincerely,

JEFF PRANG
Assessor, Los Angeles County