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Cullen limits contributions to his campaign

Photo

Rick Richard

Photo

Timothy F. Cullen

JANESVILLE — Decrying the influence of money in politics, Tim Cullen said he won’t accept individual contributions of more than $250 in his race for the state Senate.

Cullen set that contribution limit Tuesday as he formally announced he is running as a Democrat for the 15th Senate District seat in the Nov. 2 election.

State law allows individuals to contribute up to $1,000 in a state Senate race.

Cullen said he also will not accept contributions from political action committees.

The only other candidate in the race, Republican Rick Richard, agreed big money is a problem.

Richard pointed to the fact that the largest state teachers union was the biggest spender in the last election cycle.

“I think that damages the voting process, but a few hundred dollars from individual contributors, … I don’t think is causing the problems,” Richard said.

Richard said his campaign will accept money from PACs and individual contributions up to the legal limit. He said he would abide by all campaign finance rules.

Cullen said he hopes people see his contribution limit as a sign that his only obligation in the Senate would be to the people of the district.

“The public level of cynicism regarding the actions of their elected officials is higher than I’ve ever seen, and I believe multimillion dollar campaigns are at the root of that cynicism,” Cullen said.

Richard said anything that increases public involvement in elections and combats cynicism and apathy is helpful.

Richard said he doesn’t think the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on campaign finance will have much of an impact. The court threw out laws that had restricted independent election spending by companies and other organizations.

Richard said he would prefer independent groups stay out of this race because independent ads get in the way of the candidate’s message. Richard said, however, that he would not ask them directly to not to advertise

“I don’t want to be talking to them or influencing them in any way,” Richard said.

“I look forward to a clean, above-board, no-dirty-politics sort of campaigning,” Richard said. “We need to stick to the issues. There’s plenty of issues to talk about.”

Cullen is stepping down from the Janesville School Board in April. He served as the local state senator from 1975 to 1987 before becoming secretary of the state Department of Health and Social Services. He later was an executive for a health insurer.

Cullen said Sandra Heenan of Janesville will be his campaign treasurer.

The current 15th District senator is Judy Robson, D-Beloit, who is stepping down.