Syracuse University employees helped U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei (D-DeWitt) outpace Republican challenger Ann Marie Buerkle’s campaign contributions, though the fundraising discrepancy has not yet led to a clear victor.

‘It shows you can’t buy an election,’ said Jeffrey Stonecash, a professor of political science at Syracuse University. ‘Money is necessary but is not sufficient.’ 

SU faculty and staff contributed anywhere from $25 to $4,800 each to Maffei’s campaign. Almost all SU employees who contributed gave to Democratic campaigns. But contributors said donations to Maffei are because of his support for university initiatives and the lack of marketing done by Buerkle to get campaign funds from individuals at SU.

Maffei raised more than $2.7 million in his campaign for re-election, while Buerkle raised almost five times less with $551,807, according to the Federal Election Commission’s website. Yet Buerkle is leading Maffei by 659 votes in the 25th Congressional District race after Wayne County reported its results Wednesday.  

Of Maffei’s total campaign contributions, more than $1.4 million is from private individuals, including 47 total contributions from 24 SU employees adding up to $21,275, according to the FEC’s website.  

But Republican Buerkle received just one contribution from an SU employee. William Walsh, an assistant professor of accounting practice in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, contributed $50 to Buerkle’s campaign.

SU’s lack of financial support for Buerkle is unsurprising to some.

‘Most university faculty members are liberals,’ Stonecash said.

Although SU employees are more likely to be Democrats, Maffei’s support for the university also helps explain the difference in contributions, said Kristi Andersen, a professor of political science.  

‘Maffei has been here for awhile, people know him. He’s been supportive of higher education. He’s been able to get some money for Syracuse University and for other universities,’ she said. In comparison, Buerkle is relatively unknown to people on campus, Andersen said.

Andersen also said as the incumbent, Maffei was expected to outraise Buerkle.  

Buerkle, a former assistant state attorney general and former Syracuse Common Councilor, has run for public office unsuccessfully four times. She was regarded as out of the mainstream, so raising more than $500,000 is ‘pretty good,’ Stonecash said.  

‘I’m sure the party didn’t do much to promote her and didn’t take her very seriously for quite a while,’ he said. ‘And if it hadn’t been for the tidal wave or the sweep against Democrats, she probably wouldn’t have had much of a chance.’  

Thomas Fondy, a professor of biology who gave five separate contributions to Maffei totaling $2,250, said he was surprised only one university employee gave money to Buerkle.  

He contributed to Maffei’s campaign because he strongly agrees with the Democratic Party and what it is trying to do with the country in comparison to the Tea Party supporters who ‘haven’t figured it out,’ he said.

But other contributors said they supported Maffei because of the way he performed in office during his first term.  

Marilyn Higgins, a Republican, is the vice president of community engagement and economic development at SU. Even though she is a Republican, she contributed $950 to Maffei.

‘I have been very impressed with Dan’s grasp of the issues facing Central New York; the high-level cabinet officials he has brought to Syracuse; and his interest in the Near Westside,’ said Higgins, in an e-mail.  

She was never asked to contribute to Buerkle’s campaign and is unsurprised about the university’s lack of support for the Republican challenger, she said.

Vice Chancellor and Provost Eric Spina said in an e-mail interview that ‘Congressman Maffei has been a good representative for our area and has been a good advocate for the university and programs that support our core mission and vision.’  

Spina gave a total of $950 to Maffei’s campaign and was not the only member of Chancellor Nancy Cantor’s cabinet to contribute. 

Of the 18 members of the cabinet Cantor chairs, five contributed to Maffei, totaling $3,550 or 17 percent of university employees’ total donations. The contributing members were: Spina; Thomas Walsh, executive vice president for advancement and external affairs; Kevin Quinn, senior vice president for public affairs; Douglas Biklen, dean of the School of Education; and Gina Lee-Glauser, vice president for research.  

Cantor gave Maffei a total of $1,000 over two separate contributions.  

Quinn, who gave $500 to Maffei, said he is a registered Republican but does not recall ever getting anything from Buerkle’s campaign asking for contributions. The cabinet traditionally supports elected officials who are supportive of SU’s missions and goals, he said.  

The College of Law cumulatively gave the most to Maffei’s campaign. 

Aviva Abramovsky, associate dean for special projects and associate professor of law, gave two contributions of $2,400 to Maffei’s campaign, and Lydia Turnipseed, an adjunct professor at the law school, gave contributions of $2,400 and $1,000. The two law professors contributed a total of $8,200 or nearly 39 percent of university employees’ total donations to Maffei.  

With Maffei currently trailing Buerkle, several SU employees said they will not regret their contributions if Buerkle wins the election.  

In fact, Fondy, the biology professor, said he wants to contribute to Maffei’s efforts for a recount, for which the incumbent is currently trying to raise $25,000.

Andersen, the political science professor, is also helping Maffei’s effort as she said she contributed $25 to him after receiving an e-mail Thursday night asking for money to fund lawyers supervising a recount.

Harold Mattson, a professor emeritus in the L.C. Smith School of Engineering and Computer Science, gave a total of $750 to Maffei. He said there was not one particular issue that made him support Maffei, but he does not agree with Buerkle’s views on global warming. 

‘Buerkle has a weak grip on reality, and she says global warming is a myth,’ Mattson said. 

Buerkle leads Maffei by 659 votes, and the election will now come down to absentee and military ballots. A winner may not emerge until Nov. 24, as that is the final day in which military ballots can be counted. 

Both Stonecash and Andersen, the political science professors, said they did not expect Buerkle to be leading Maffei at this point in the election.  

‘Of the three Central New York congressmen, I thought Maffei was the one most likely to win,’ Andersen said. ‘And I was completely wrong because I thought Bill Owens would be the one to lose, and he won.’ 

But the current results of the election cannot be blamed completely on what Maffei has done in his first term in office, as an anti-Democrat sentiment is present throughout the country, Stonecash said. 

‘Dan Maffei knew he was in a district that could go either way,’ he said. ‘A lot of people were worried about the economy and how much of a negative impact it would have on the majority party.’ 

Yet Stonecash said he had thought Maffei would survive because of his work ethic and the amount of money he raised during his campaign. 

Said Maffei during an Oct. 29 interview: ‘I’m very hopeful that we will be re-elected.’ 

jdharr04@syr.edu

Published on November 7, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Jon: jdharr04@syr.edu