Frank Guinta has lackluster campaign fundraising numbers! Frank Guinta may face a primary challenge from investment banker Bob Bestani.

-

-
Frank Guinta v Carol Shea-Porter
-

-

-

Campaign 2010
"Incumbents, top challengers disappoint"
By Reid Wilson - thehill.com - 7/16/2009

Both parties will be prodding several lawmakers and challengers about their lackluster fundraising results after second-quarter reports were due Wednesday.

The national parties have already begun spending on advertising, which puts pressure on incumbents and challengers to impress bosses in Washington. And despite an economy in the dumps, the cost of a campaign won’t go down, adding to the pressure to bring in big money early.

Here is one Democrat v one Republican most likely to get angry phone calls from Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) and National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas) about their Federal Election Commission reports:

• Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.): Shea-Porter is more liberal than seatmate Rep. Paul Hodes (D), but her district, spanning Manchester to the seacoast, is more conservative than Hodes’s. That, and her aversion to raising big bucks, means she will be a target as long as she’s in Congress.

Since April, Shea-Porter has raked in just $120,000, leaving her with $211,000 in the bank. That’s not a lot of money to play with in the expensive Boston media market, meaning external groups are likely to play a role in her race. Democrats have a lot more defense to play than offense, meaning Shea-Porter, who had to be goaded into participating in the DCCC’s Frontline Program, could drop down the priority list.

• Manchester Mayor Frank Guinta (R): Just like in Florida, the challenging party has failed to take advantage of a financially weak incumbent in the Granite State. Guinta, one of the most touted GOP candidates in the country, raised just $90,000 in the second quarter, leaving him with $93,000 in the bank.

Guinta didn’t help his cause by getting press for being at a bar where a fight broke out last month. Investment banker Bob Bestani (R) attended the NRCC’s campaign school this week, meaning Guinta may have to spend at least some of his limited resources just to get to Shea-Porter next November.

-
Robert Bestani on "YouTube" -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NA3p4-Orac&NR=1
-
-----

"Bestani calling Guinta hypocritical on town hall meetings"
nhpoliticalreport.com - (James Pindell) - Friday, August 7, 2009

First District Republican Congressional candidate Bob Bestani found it a little disengous for his primary rival Frank Guinta to go after the fact that Carol Shea-Porter has yet to announce any town hall meetings.

....continued....
-

"Guinta: Where's Carol's Town Hall?"
nhpoliticalreport.com - (James Pindell) - Thursday, August 6, 2009

WHERE'S CAROL'S TOWN HALL?

No Sign of Carol Shea-Porter Scheduled Events for "Summer District Work Period"

....continued....
-

Also: "Boston Herald columnist to raise money for Bestani"
nhpoliticalreport.com - (James Pindell) - Thursday, August 6, 2009

"National fundraiser joins Bestani Congressional Team"

...continued...
-
-----

"Congressional hopefuls to pay visit to 9-12 group in Rochester"
fosters.com - October 9, 2009

ROCHESTER — Two Republicans seeking to challenge U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter for a spot in Congress in 2010 plan to speak at the upcoming 9-12 project meeting Monday.

Peter Bearse, of Danville, and Frank Guinta, of Manchester, are scheduled to speak to residents at the group's monthly meeting on Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the Church of Christ, at 336 Salmon Falls Road.

Sue DeLemus, a member of the local 9-12 project, said she also invited Shea-Porter, D-NH, of Rochester, and Republican Bob Bestani, of Newmarket, to come.

She said Shea-Porter has not responded to the invitation while Bestani, who is unable to attend, hopes to meet with the group at a later time. She did not invite Mike Castaldo, of Dover, because she was unaware he is also exploring a run for the 1st Congressional District, according to www.nhgop.org. DeLemus, who is also running for a seat on the Rochester School Board, said the upcoming meeting is the last chance for residents to learn about local candidates.

"It's the final meeting before elections take place," DeLemus said, referring to when polls open in the city Nov. 3 for local officials.

-----

"Granite Status: Annie's got big bucks for a tough challenge on road ahead"
By JOHN DiSTASO, NH State House Bureau, NH Union Leader, February 8, 2014

DOLLARS AND MORE DOLLARS. With recent polling showing both of the state's Democratic U.S. House members in trouble, they have at least one thing going for them - fundraising.

That's especially true for Rep. Annie Kuster, but even Carol Shea-Porter, not known as a big fundraiser, is ahead of her GOP challengers, as well.

The 2013 year-end fundraising reports, made public just over a week ago, show Kuster leading the group with just over $1 million ready to spend this year.

Of course, individual candidate fundraising is less important in this post-Citizens United era than it had been previously. The big money comes from the parties, the SuperPACs and the issue advocacy groups.

But how much is raised by the incumbents and challenger, along with polling, is often a guide for where these groups put their massive amounts of money.

In the 2nd District, Kuster, after raising $335,000 in the fourth quarter and $1.36 million since being elected in November 2012, entered 2014 with $1.06 million on hand.

Of her total raised, $938,000, or 68 percent, came from individuals and $419,000, or 32 percent, came from PACs.

Kuster far out-raised her two Republican challengers, who, in fairness, entered the race relatively recently.Gary Lambert, who announced for the office last September, raised $71,000 in the fourth quarter and $245,000 since entering the race.

Only $1,500 came from PAC contributions; the rest from individuals.

And Lambert entered the year with $218,500 on hand.Marilinda Garcia, who only filed her candidacy papers and began raising money in late November, reported raising $42,000, with all but $1,000 of it from individuals.

She entered the year with $34,000 on hand.

In the 1st District, Shea-Porter, after raising $160,000 in the fourth quarter of 2013 and $542,000 since being elected and returned to the seat in November 2012, entered the year with $357,389 on hand.

She has received about 60 percent of her cycle-to-date total contributions from individuals and 40 percent ($224,000) from PACs since the last election.

Republican former Rep. Frank Guinta led primary foe newcomer Dan Innis in fundraising, but not by very much.

Guinta reported raising $164,000 in the fourth quarter and $168,000 since he lost the seat to Shea-Porter in November 2012.

Of the total raised, $106,000, or 63 percent came from individuals while $62,000, or 37 percent, came from PACs.

Guinta began the year with $128,000 on hand.

Guinta's fundraising total is noteworthy because last fall, his campaign adviser told us the campaign had raised "over $200,000" for an event featuring U.S. Rep. and 2012 vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan - an event that had to be postponed due to Ryan's scheduling conflict brought about by the government shutdown.

That event is now scheduled for Feb. 18 in Manchester, also featuring Sen. Kelly Ayotte (who has obviously taken sides in the GOP primary).

So what about the "missing" $32,000?

The adviser, Ethan Zorfas, said it's not missing at all.

He said the event "raised about $200,000, as I mentioned at the time. Some of those commitments will be collected over the next several months."

And by the way, Guinta's campaign still lists outstanding loan balances totaling $288,500 from personal loans he made to his campaign back during his successful 2010 campaign.

Innis raised $106,000 between Oct. 28, when he filed his candidacy, and Dec. 31. He gave his campaign a $20,000 contribution and the rest came from other individual donors; no PAC money.

His campaign entered the year with $31,000 on hand.

- - - - - - - - - -

BROWN FOR GUINTA. Scott Brown, who headlined a fund-raiser for Guinta in Portsmouth in November, last week penned a fundraising email for him as well.

In the email, Brown mentions that Guinta is a former Manchester mayor (but not that he is a former congressman) and calls him a "friend" and "the type of guy we need fighting for us against Washington."

- - - - - - - - -

THE LATEST ROUND. Democrats and the GOP continue to fight the fight that isn't - at least not yet: Jeanne Shaheen vs. Scott Brown for the U.S. Senate seat.

We first reported on Twitter last week that the National Republican Senatorial Committee was hitting Shaheen with a web ad based on her radio comment that you can keep your doctor and hospital under Obamacare if you are "willing to pay more.

The ad sarcastically says "it's the Democrats' new health care fix - to keep your doctor, just pay more."

The New Hampshire Democratic Party continued to criticize Scott Brown for renting his email list to a firm that used it and his name to send out an email touting a controversial doctor who has espoused theories at odds with scientific evidence.

Brown's PAC reportedly collected $55,000 last year for renting out the email list.

Brown severed his ties with the vendor last Wednesday, but the state Democratic Party pressed on, saying Brown was "spreading misleading and dangerous" health-related information.

- - - - - - - - -

DEMOCRATIC NEWS. The NHDP's quarterly state committee meeting was held Saturday in Laconia.

District 1 Executive Council candidate Mike Cryans was the featured attraction and members were urged to get active in the campaign leading up to the March 11 special election.

(Republican council candidate Joe Kenney is taking the weekend off from campaigning, GOP sources said, and with good reason: He's on Marine duty at Fort Devens.)

It was the first Democratic State Committee meeting with Sean Doyle as party executive director. He was formally named to the post Jan. 22 after serving as acting executive director for several months.

Prior to working at the NHDP, Doyle, 27, was the director of operations at the Association of State Democratic Chairs, headed by NHDP Chairman Raymond Buckley, at the Democratic National Committee.

Doyle is a Manchester native and a graduate of Franklin Pierce University, where he also served as the president of the College Democrats of New Hampshire.

Buckley said Doyle "has a sharp political mind and will play a key role in New Hampshire Democratic victories in 2014 and beyond."

Also:

-- State Sen. Donna Soucy, D-Manchester, will be at the White House this week for a welcome ceremony for French President Nicolas Hollande. Soucy is the top elected Franco-American in New Hampshire state government and is fluent in French.

-- John F. Kennedy's top New Hampshire operative and former state party finance chairman Bob Shaine of Manchester was celebrated on his 90th birthday in Manchester last Wednesday by family, friends and political leaders.

Soucy, Buckley, Executive Councilor Chris Pappas, and former NHDP chair and Ambassador George Bruno delivered remarks, while former Gov. John Lynch, former Ambassador and U.S. Rep. Dick Swett, Shea-Porter and former presidential hopeful and U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman sent messages.

- - - - - - -

CONSERVATIVE NEWS. Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire will continue its crusade against the Affordable Care Act on Tuesday with a "Real People, Real Stories" luncheon at the Concord Holiday Inn at noon.

AFP-NH says some Granite Staters will talk about the "impact" the ACA has had on them. We're told Fox News and CNN have inquired about national coverage.

-- Five hundred available free tickets were scooped up within 24 hours of the announcement last Wednesday of the "Freedom Summit" sponsored by the national AFP Foundation and Citizens United, AFP-NH state director Greg Moore says.

A waiting list is being compiled for the possible addition of more seating capacity at the Executive Court.

As we reported first, speakers will include Donald Trump, Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, former Arkansas Gov. and Fox News talk show host Mike Huckabee, U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn and American Enterprise Institute President Arthur Brooks.

-----