Roggio looks to narrow fundraising gap

Congressional candidate Bob RoggioFacing an uphill battle against a popular and well-funded incumbent, the congressional campaign of Bob Roggio is readying an aggressive fundraising push and promising that a combination of local and national donors will allow the campaign to compete in what is sure to be a difficult race.

Analysts and pollsters have identified the seat of U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-West Pikeland) in the 6th Congressional District as one that is unlikely to be captured by the Democrats, even in a year widely expected to be a tough one for the GOP. And after surviving two very close elections in 2004 and 2006, some say Gerlach is finally in a position to win more easily in the 6th district, which includes parts of Berks, Chester and Montgomery counties. He has opened the election cycle with a significant fundraising advantage, with about $1.5 million in receipts as of April, compared with only $205,000 for Roggio, a retired Chester County businessman. Several Democrats reportedly passed on running against Gerlach, largely because of the estimated $3 million to $4 million it will take to unseat him.

"This is obviously an incredibly expensive media market," Roggio's campaign manager Liz Conroy told PolitickerPA.com.

But the Roggio campaign says the recent numbers -- including an internal Gerlach poll showing Roggio well behind -- miss some important facts: Roggio got a late start on fundraising, district voters remain unsatisfied with the Republican Party, and Roggio's grassroots efforts to recruit younger voters are exactly the things needed to beat the incumbent, the campaign says.

"Bob's candidacy and Bob's profile is far better suited to running in this district than Lois Murphy," Conroy said, referring to the challenger who nearly unseated Gerlach twice.

Perhaps most importantly for the campaign, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently named Roggio an emerging candidate, sparking high hopes that Democratic donors across the country will throw in their support.

"We're going to have the funds to be competitive in this race," Conroy said.

"For all intents and purposes, Bob got into this race and started raising funds just in the beginning of March," she added. "He's already made incredible strides in the community and is building on them."

The fundraising push would seem to begin in earnest Thursday, with two events on Roggio's calendar. First, the campaign will hold a Young Professional's Happy Hour in Bryn Mawr, and the campaign is relying heavily on his three adult children to build support among younger voters. At $35 per person, the contribution is smaller than many other big-ticket fundraising events.

"It's a way for people regardless of their economic status to be able to socialize with Bob and hear what he has to say," campaign finance director Betti Pacman said.

Later Thursday night, other supporters will gather at a fundraiser at McKenzie's Pub in Malvern.

"I can assure you that we'll be shooting for a real competitive number," Conroy said of the campaign's expectations leading up to the finance reports that are due to be filed in September.