With just over five weeks to go, Bob Watkins is out a consultant and a fundraiser in the GOP race to replace Congressman Duncan Hunter. Both Sacramento-based JohnsonClark Associates and a local fundraiser confirmed with me that they ended their respective relationships with the Watkins campaign earlier in the month.
Media consultant Jennifer Kerns issued a statement in response to my resulting inquiry:
Bob Watkins’ campaign has confirmed they have concluded their contract with JohnsonClark Associates. Over the last seven months, JohnsonClark has created a strategic framework for the Congressional campaign; now during the final five weeks of the campaign, their execution plan will be carried out on the grassroots level. JohnsonClark remains available to the Watkins campaign as consultants, and will be assisting the campaign for the general election.
What this means for the Watkins effort may be open to some conjecture. Yet, it won’t be lost on political watchers that the loss of one of the state’s most capable consulting firms at such a late date is significant.
Watkins, currently the president of the County Board of Education and a successful businessman, has been considered by many a strong contender for the 52nd Congressional seat against Marine Captain Duncan D. Hunter, son of the incumbent.
It was further anticipated that Watkins would likely fund much of his own effort if necessary. Yet, the release of recent campaign statements (see prior post) shows Hunter far ahead of Watkins, Santee Councilman Brian Jones and retired Federal Agent Rick Powell in the money race. Politicos began to question whether Watkins’ potential personal funds would come too late — or be wasted in a quixotic effort against Hunter.
My take: Watkins’ great success in business hasn’t been due to risky financial moves. Although he will continue some fundraising and stick it out nobly until the end, the departure of JCA indicates he will not be tossing his personal funds down a black hole. The younger Hunter’s fundraising prowess has surprised many, meaning the early writing on the wall as to the outcome in the race is instead rapidly becoming engravings in stone.
Added thoughts: Many outside East San Diego County still do not get the strength of the Hunter name in the area. I’ve witnessed absolutely no meaningful drop-off whatsoever between those that would have supported the Congressman for re-election and those willing to support the younger Hunter. As well, in the public arena, Hunter appears as versed on the issues as local office-holders Jones and Watkins — if not more so on military and national security matters — thus giving watchers added confidence that he is his own person.
Send off: The idealistic Councilman Jones will end his foray into the big time smelling like a rose and with a lot of supporters, thus nicely setting himself up for something down the road, whether he knows it now or not.