Baker Up Against Clock To Qualify For Public Dough Against Newton

If Board of Education member Andre Baker wants to qualify for public bread in his effort to defeat party-endorsed Ernie Newton in an August 12 Democratic primary, he needs a jolt of yeast in his campaign. Primary grant applications will not be accepted after July 18, according to the Citizens Election Program calendar. That means Baker has just four weeks to raise $5000 in small donations to trigger a $27,000 public grant in a labor-intensive process.

Under Citizens Election Program rules Baker’s campaign must raise donations between $5 and $100 including 150 donations from within the city. Baker did not form a candidate committee until after he received word from elections officials last week that he submitted enough certified signatures from district Democrats to qualify for the ballot.

Baker emerged as a late challenge to Newton who has a strong following in the city’s East End despite his conviction on federal corruption charges 10 years ago that forced his resignation from the state legislature. Newton is seeking to regain the State House seat he once occupied. Incumbent Don Clemons has decided not to seek reelection.

This primary pits two candidates with East End voter bases. The district covers the East End and runs north up to the Beardsley Park area. Dunbar, Harding and JFK schools are the voting precincts. Newton was the leading vote producer in the Dunbar and Harding precincts in his 2012 State Senate primary won by Andres Ayala. Baker, who represented the East End on the City Council, received the most votes in those precincts in his winning Democratic primary run for school board last year.

Newton is raising money outside the state’s voluntary public financing program because the state legislature last year passed a law that prohibits his participation.