Respectful of the Outcome, Ose Reflects on Role of Outside Money in Congressional Race

November 21, 2014 |

Just hours after learning the outcome of California’s Seventh Congressional District race, Doug Ose was back to work.

Ose, who learned that the Associated Press had called the race in favor of his Democratic opponent, incumbent Ami Bera, wasted no time in returning to running his business.

“I’m respectful of the outcome, but disappointed,” Ose said in an interview conducted yesterday afternoon.

As a Congressman from 1999 through 2005, Ose said one of the most disheartening aspects of this year's $20 million race, which several sources called the nations most expensive Congressional race, was that much of the money was not from either his or Bera’s campaign. Ose said that aspect of it was very troubling.

“I think the money that came into this race from sources, basically that we were not able to identify is troubling,” he said. “Both Bera and I have no say in the message that those group put on the TV and radio.”

A New York Time story published this summer noted some of the same concerns voiced by Ose: “ “It makes it harder for the campaign to control the message,” said Will Feltus, senior vice president for research and planning at National Media Inc., a Republican media-buying company. “Somebody else can set the message agenda for the campaign.”

Citing his work while he was in Congress, Ose said he had sponsored campaign finance reform legislation and that while he did not object to the amount of money per se, rather its lack of transparency.

“I don’t mind them spending it, but we need to know where it is coming from,” he said.

Ose stopped short of saying that third party money should be limited, but he stressed the sources should be made public.

“I just want to know who it is,” he stressed.

During the campaign, several outside groups purchased extensive TV and radio ads on behalf of both candidates that portrayed the opposition in less than flattering ways.

While saying he believed that the sources of outside money should be made available, he noted that the shear expenses of running any campaign should not dissuade qualified candidates from running for any elected office.

“It is important we get people to run for office who know how to make things happen,” he said.

When asked about any future political plans, Ose noted that at the time of this interview, the results came out just 16 hours earlier and was still digesting the results. However, Ose did not rule out any future political endeavors.

Noting he was being interviewed from the Gibson Ranch park that his company is operating under a 10-year contract with Sacramento County, Ose said that would be his immediate focus.

“Life is a journey, one door closes, another opens,” Ose noted. “I have lots of stuff to do….you move forward.”