Projo Politics Blog

Mark Zaccaria sees 2008 as "a learning experience."

The Republican candidate for Jim Langevin's Second Congressional District seat earned just 29.9 percent of the vote in November's election.

But Zaccaria, the former corporate exective from North Kingstown, has already announced his intention to run again in 2010. He largely blames the lopsided loss on money.

Langevin spent more than $650,000 on the race, while Zaccaria spent just over $52,000, according to an analysis by the Center for Responsive Politics.

"The single biggest reason for the second-place finish...was lack of funding," Zaccaria wrote in a mass e-mail to supporters on Sunday. "We were unable to broadcast our message of putting government back in the hands of citizens because we didn't have the cash to buy any broad-based media. That has to change for 2010 or else the outcome will be the same."

Zaccaria said he's already "engaged the services of a nationally known fundraising consultant and has already begun new efforts to raise cash so it can later raise consciousness."

We've asked him about the identity of the consultant, and he said he'd get back to us.

Meanwhile, Zaccaria says he plans to formally file his candidacy with the Federal Election Commission in the "next month or so."

 Tags  Center for Responsive Politics Federal Election Commission Jim Langevin Mark Zaccaria money race Second Congressional District

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