Lincoln Chafee, Jim Webb Have No Campaign Offices in Iowa, New Hampshire
When it comes to building their campaign organizations these two are far behind.
— -- They both appeared on a national debate stage earlier this week and introduced themselves to voters across the country, but when it comes to building out their campaign organizations, long-shot Democratic presidential candidates Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee are far behind.
In fact, both Webb and Chafee's campaigns confirmed to ABC News that neither has yet to open a single campaign office in either Iowa or New Hampshire -- the states that traditionally kick of the primary and caucus season. Chafee spokesperson said it was "strictly a budget matter."
Webb's team says they were running a different kind of campaign. "We're not running a Fortune 500 campaign counting offices and paid staff. This is an insurgent campaign mostly run by volunteers," a campaign rep told ABC News.
The lack of infrastructure is especially surprising for Chafee who is former New England governor from Rhode Island and has traveled to New Hampshire over 25 times, according to his own count. Former Virginia Senator Webb has been much less active on the campaign trail so far, leaving many to wonder how committed he is to this race.
By comparison, Hillary Clinton has 10 field offices in New Hampshire and 17 in Iowa, according local media reports. Bernie Sanders has nine field offices in New Hampshire and 16 in Iowa. Both Webb and Chafee do have campaign headquarter offices in their home states of Virginia and Rhode Island.
Both candidates are trailing when it comes to fundraising as well. Jim Webb raised $691,972 dollars last quarter according to his filing with the Federal Election Commission last night. Chafee raised a mere $11,336 dollars during the same period. By comparison, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley raised $1.2 million dollars and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders raised $26.2 million dollars during the last quarter.
In an interview with ABC News before Tuesday’s debate, Chafee talked about the challenge of working with his shoestring budget. He drives from Rhode Island to campaign events in Iowa and Washington, DC.
“Yes, I have a small budget, but that’s what intended,” he said. “I knew Secretary Clinton was going to get all of the donations as the inevitable coronation and she did. But the surprise has been Senator Sanders.” He added that he thinks he can make it through the Iowa and New Hampshire contests on his “low donation intake.”
In the polls, Webb and Chafee still hover around one percent or less. According to a Monmouth University poll released September 8, “not one single poll participant” had selected Chafee as their nomination choice in four national polls they had conducted between that time and when he announced his presidential bid.