Spending less than $500, (FReeper) ALZONA wins 72,610+ votes in Maryland Republican Primary election

Alzona for Comptroller Campaign ^ | September 12, 2002 | Hail Caesar

[Hail Caesar]

For immediate release

9/12/2002 10:00 P.M. EDT

Despite spending less than $500, Alzona, a fiscal conservative, wins 72,610+ votes (42.3%) in the statewide Republican Primary Election for Maryland Comptroller

To: Assignment Desk, Daybook Editor
Contact: Augustus Alzona, 301-530-8883 e-mail: alzona@verizon.net

Press Release

In his very first campaign for statewide public office, Augustus Alzona (R), a Bethesda CPA and management consultant, received an impressive 72,610 + votes (42.3%) cast in the September 10th Maryland Gubernatorial Primary Election. A well-known grassroots conservative, civil/constitutional rights advocate and minority community activist, Alzona, was around 7.7% short of the votes required to become the very first Filipino American Republican ever nominated for a statewide office in U.S. history.

Mr. Alzona, an elected member of the Maryland Republican Party Central Committee (Montgomery County, District 16), spent less than five hundred dollars ($500) on his humble bid to become the Maryland Republican Party's nominee to challenge entrenched incumbent, William Donald Schaefer (D), in the November 5th general election. Alzona was the very last candidate to file for statewide office on July 1, 2002.

Despite his conservative credentials, Alzona earned some of his top vote percentages in Baltimore City (48.35%), Baltimore County (43.38%), Montgomery County (47.07%), and Prince Georges County (47.17%). He even did surprisingly well in the more rural counties of Talbot (45.65%) and Kent (46.15%) on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Had he won the primary, Alzona would nonetheless have faced an uphill general election battle due to the incumbent's tremendous fundraising advantage among certain elements of Baltimore's gambling, developer and business establishment especially since Alzona refuses to accept campaign contributions from any industry tainted by corruption.

Alzona, the only statewide Republican candidate to sign the Maryland Taxpayer Association's "no new Maryland taxes" pledge, was campaigning on a platform to stand up for the constitutional and privacy rights of all Maryland's citizens. Also, he would have ordered a thorough, outside independent "People's Audit" of all government agencies, contracts and "sweetheart deals" involving Maryland politicians, lobbyists, contractors and government employees. Among other considerations, this would have rooted out any potential systemic corruption and helped assure the people of Maryland that the state would not face a crisis analogous to the Enron or WorldCom type bankruptcies. Maryland currently faces an over $1 billion dollar budget deficit and the $25 billion employee pension fund has recently declined over $3 billion under the current incumbent's watch.

Alzona's primary opponent Gene Zarwell (R), the 61 year old former military officer who finally won this primary, has publicly praised the tyrannical, 80 year old Democrat incumbent and former governor of Baltimore, William Donald Schaefer (D), as his "mentor." Zarwell did lose several previous Republican primaries for statewide office (Comptroller, U.S. Senate - twice) and U.S. Congress before this one. Alzona has won three previous Republican primary elections for local office in Montgomery County, Maryland.

Republican gubernatorial nominee, U.S. Representative Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. (R), did not endorse Alzona's candidacy. Instead, the Republican congressman has declared his support for Democrat candidate Schaefer for quite some time now.

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Authority: Elizabeth Alzona, Treasurer

Augustus Alzona, Candidate

[Hail Caesar]

"Congratulations on your near win, which demonstrates the power of grass-roots activism. Especially in primaries, where most folks don't even vote."

Thanks! You are absolutely right. If it were not for some of the grass-roots support I received from certain conservative groups right before the election, my numbers would not have been nearly as respectable as they are.

[Hail Caesar]

"You must have done some serious foot work and door-to-door hand pumping. I'm impressed. But, next time, spring for the extra $50 and win the damned election! ;-)"

I did attend several community events, festivals, etc. However, I have been told after-the-fact, that if I had raised and spent at least $5,000, I would have won this primary, hands down.

Oh, well.

[Hail Caesar]

"Good show!!!! From one who spent a tad more, you did good, man."

Thanks, marsh2. I sheepishly admit taking advantage of this rare opportunity where the establishment did not handpick a specific candidate this time.

[Hail Caesar]

Thanks!

IMHO, there is a faint glimmer of hope for future Republican candidates, even conservatives, especially after we elect Bob Ehrlich as the first Republican governor of Maryland since 1966.

[Hail Caesar]

"Congratulations on your outstanding showing! It'd definitely be worth it for you to make another run at it in the next election. Also, without question, you deserve a Most-Bang-For-Your-Buck award. Next time spend a thousand dollars, and with your amazing knack for efficient spending, you'll win by a landslide!"

Thanks for your compliments. Another run for Comptroller four years from now is not out of the question. After all, the incumbent will be 84 years old then and even more demented than he is now. :-)

Regardless, I would have to raise serious money to beat him, even then.

[Hail Caesar]

Thanks.

And yes, we did learn several valuable lessons for the future from this short, but, intense grassroots campaign. :-)

[Hail Caesar]

"Well congratulations on a great showing anyway...
Just think of the possibilities if you had pulled it off... you might have had the support of the sitting Democratic governor! Good 'ol Parris "cradle robber" Spendening might just have endorsed you against Schaefer.
I guess when you look at it that way, winning might not have been so appealing after all. :-)"

Thanks! Actually, earning the right to represent the GOP against old Willie Don, even with a Spendening endorsement , would have forced the DemocRAT establishment to divert resources towards defending Schaefer that otherwise would have gone (are now going) to Kathleen.

In the opinion of certain political analysts, who shall remain unnamed, both the state GOP and the Ehrlich campaign blew this great opportunity away by not endorsing Alzona and helping him at least win the primary.

[Ispy4u]

Sorry for the long delay, I've been out of town.

I stand corrected and fully mistaken.