“Hong ran an inspirational grassroots campaign that mobilized people around key issues like data centers, but her failure to advertise in the final days probably cost her the election
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“In the final days, voters only heard concerns about Hong, but no countervailing positive message.
“The Clinton campaign credited the controversy with helping him win the general election. It signaled to voters he was mainstream, sane, strong and unafraid of a fight.
“Public and private polls show that a lot of the working people Democrats have to win back respect Bernie Sanders because they want candid, populist leaders with the backbone to fight an economic status quo that has failed them
“So I’ve learned that fully self-funded candidates, meaning those who don’t supplement with financial support from others, typically lose. Self-funding on its own is not as valuable as getting money from others, and in particular large-dollar donations from others.
“Democratic voters are hungry for a new generation of leaders who can credibly argue they'll fight for change
“I think that people forget how low information these contests usually are. Many primary voters really don’t know much about candidates. I think in the Michigan Senate example, that was less true. Money isn’t irrelevant, but when you have other pieces of information, that can override money. And furthermore, in that case, both of the candidates were spending millions of dollars in the primary. I mean, this is just so unique in a lot of ways.
“The average for non-incumbent successful candidates in open seat primaries is about three to $400,000 in the first quarter. And if you look at incumbents who lost or struggled, well, their challengers for the most part, are not, you know, broke jokes. They’re raising $200,000 to $300,000 in their first quarter, which resembles what quote unquote “open seat candidates” are raising too in many districts. Maybe not your super wealthy districts like in New York or in California, but in many districts, $300,000 in your first quarter is a really good showing. So I would say money is money, and early money in particular is a prerequisite.
“Among those who run, rich candidates are also more likely to win.