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Gregg Outraises Pence in First Half of 2015

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg raised more money in the first half of 2015 than Governor Mike Pence.  And at least one political scientist says, even with the election more than a year away, that could have an impact on how the race shapes up.

Former House Speaker John Gregg managed to out-fundraise the incumbent through June by a little more than $100,000. 

Governor Pence does have significantly more cash on hand – more than a two-to-one advantage over Gregg.  And Gregg has two opponents in the Democratic primary, which will likely force him to spend more money before the general election than Pence, who so far is unopposed. 

But University of Evansville political science professor Robert Dion says outraising an incumbent, even early on, can help catch the attention of national groups.

“They are not sentimental people.  They don’t invest their money knowing that the person is a goner,” Dion said. “They want to see somebody who has a legitimate chance at toppling the incumbent.”

Much of Gregg’s lead was built through big donations from labor organizations, which Dion says won’t be enough going forward.

“This labor boost has given him a big head start but he’s going to have to pour on the fundraising from the citizens in the near future,” he adds.

Dion says if Gregg continues building a fundraising lead, it could help force his primary opponents to bow out of the race.

Brandon Smith is excited to be working for public radio in Indiana. He has previously worked in public radio as a reporter and anchor in mid-Missouri for KBIA Radio out of Columbia. Prior to that, he worked for WSPY Radio in Plano, Illinois as a show host, reporter, producer and anchor. His first job in radio was in another state capitol, in Jefferson City, Missouri, as a reporter for three radio stations around Missouri. Brandon graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Journalism in 2010, with minors in political science and history. He was born and raised in Chicago.
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