Baucus Fundraising for Johnson
Roll Call Staff
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who is up for re-election this cycle, has formed a special fundraising account to help Sen. Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) raise money for a prospective 2008 bid while recovering from emergency brain surgery.
Baucus, the newly minted chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, on Tuesday finalized the creation of the Baucus-Johnson Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee that allows Baucus to simultaneously raise money for his re-election as well as Johnson’s.
All funds collected through the committee would be divided equally between the Western state Senators, Baucus’ office said.
“Max believes Tim Johnson is a national leader,” said Baucus’ chief of staff, Jim Messina. “Max wants to make sure that the last thing Tim is thinking about is raising money.
“Max will do anything he can to help Tim Johnson and believes this is one way he can be helpful.”
Johnson remains at George Washington University Hospital, where he is recovering following a brain hemorrhage in December. The South Dakota Senator continues to improve, but his office said he has yet to make any decisions about seeking a third Senate term.
Drey Samuelson, Johnson’s chief of staff, said Tuesday that the office is “very touched” by Baucus’ move and remains confident that Johnson will make a full recovery and ultimately run in 2008. Samuelson added that while Baucus and Johnson are good friends, the Montana Democrat’s overture “came out of the blue.”
“We didn’t ask for it,” Samuelson said. “It’s particularly generous. It says a lot about Sen. Baucus. It’s going to help us put the campaign in the position we wanted to be in, so that’s definitely a weight off of us.”
Baucus and Johnson both represent states where Democrats have had to wage some difficult electoral battles in recent years. And both Senators’ re-elections are critical to a Democratic majority in the 111th Congress.
Johnson’s recovery has been atop Senators’ minds since Dec. 13 when he suddenly fell ill during a phone interview with reporters at the Capitol. Johnson has remained at the hospital since then, but he has been transferred out of the intensive care unit and continues to improve in rehabilitation. His office said Tuesday he is awake, responsive and eating.
Following his collapse, speculation mounted over whether Johnson would be able to return to the Senate. If unable to serve, the balance of the chamber could have shifted from a 51-49 Democratic majority to a 50-50 split with Vice President Cheney breaking any tie.
The governor of South Dakota, Mike Rounds, is a Republican and likely would have tapped another Republican to fulfill the remainder of Johnson’s term.
Prior to his illness, Johnson was on a path to run again in a state that almost certainly would have brought a competitive race.
Johnson successfully, but narrowly, staved off a challenge from now Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in his re-election bid in 2002. A leading Democrat to succeed Johnson if he were to retire would be Rep. Stephanie Herseth, while the top GOP candidate likely would be Rounds.
Baucus also represents a swing state for Democrats and is on track to win a sixth term. The five-term Senator, known as a prolific fundraiser, had $1.4 million in cash on hand as of Sept. 30.
Samuelson said as Johnson focuses on getting better, his aides are hoping to “put him in a position to run for re-election should he choose to do so.” As of Sept. 30, Johnson had $651,000 in the bank.
“Frankly, I think he will,” Samuelson said. “I can’t say that with certainty, but certainly that is what he wanted to do [before he got ill], that’s what I believe he will want to do, and believe that’s what he will do.”
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