Getting a run for his money

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, Nov, 1998 by Ian Baldwin

Bob Weiner spent $30,000 on his first bid for office, and it has paid off.

Back in the early 1970s, when he was a student at the University of Delaware, Bob Weiner signed on for a community-service project in nearby Wilmington with a freshman county council member named Joseph Biden. "Joe awakened me to issues on the national and state level," says Weiner, now 48. "He said he thought I would make a good elected official someday."

More than 25 years later, Weiner took the advice of his mentor--now a U.S. senator from Delaware and the ranking Democrat on the Senate foreign relations committee. In 1996, running as a Republican, Weiner won a seat on the New Castle county council. Biden spent more than $2 million on his last election campaign, while Weiner spent about $30,000 on his first.

CAMPAIGN FINANCES. In a typical congressional-election year, 250,000 to 300,000 candidates at all levels of government throw their hats into the ring, says analyst David Bositis of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Weiner, a lawyer with a practice in residential real estate and personal injury, attracted the notice of local politicians during his seven years as the host of a public-service cable-TV show. Convinced, he says, that there was "a void in the leadership regarding land-use issues," Weiner also joined a civic umbrella organization and became chairman of its zoning committee. In 1995 a representative of the state legislature asked if he would run for county council on a platform of moderate development.

Weiner started with a cadre of volunteers and no seed money. "The first thing I did was to sit down and make a list of all the people I could call for money," he says. He amassed a slew of $25 contributions and raised about $10,000 in the first 30 days of his campaign. His total of $30,000 was about half that of his opponent, a 20-year incumbent, but Weiner won anyway. He attributes his victory to voters' anger over aggressive development and his own hard work--he knocked on 8,000 doors.

Weiner's efforts have paid off. After raising $15,000 for his 1998 campaign, he discovered that he was running unopposed. Even though he's a shoo-in for reelection, he'll stay on the hustings because "I don't want the voters to think I've taken their support for granted." He plans to spend the money he's raised so far mostly on direct mail.

POCKETBOOK ISSUES. Campaigning took a big bite out of Weiner's income during the 1996 election, when he lost 30% to 40% of his potential earnings. He dipped into savings and borrowed $5,000 to help fund the campaign. But he had enough left in the campaign's coffers to pay back his debts within two months of winning the election.

Weiner's county-council salary of $27,500 isn't enough to let him quit his day job. In addition to running for office and paying the mortgage, Weiner, who is divorced, has two daughters to support. But he thrives on his dual career. And being in business for himself gives him the flexibility to serve his 87,000 constituents.

From about 7 A.M. to 3 P.M., Weiner works at his law office. He spends the rest of his day, which usually stretches to around midnight, either at his county-council office or at community meetings. Because he's running unopposed, he won't have to take as much time off from his law practice to campaign this year, but he figures he'll still forfeit 10% to 25% of his potential earnings.

Based on his track record, Weiner can expect to be holding down two jobs for a while. If so, he won't be the first Delaware candidate who has defeated a well-entrenched incumbent and settled in for a long tenure in office. That feat was accomplished in 1972--by none other than Senator Joseph Biden.