Mark Risley calls the grand opening of his new campaign headquarters “historic.” On Aug. 21, the Pacific Grove Republican businessman joined forces with Libertarian investment advisor Joel Smolen, Peace & Freedom bookseller Joe Williams, and Salinas rapper David Muñoz to hand out campaign buttons and flyers at the new office they are sharing. Volunteers stood on a street corner waving an American flag, and others barbecued in a parking lot. Attendees ate cake, drank wine, enjoyed homemade cookies that Risley’s mother brought up from San Luis Obispo, and chatted up the five very different candidates who want to oust six-term incumbent Sam Farr from the 17th District congressional seat.

It wasn’t politics as usual and seemed an unlikely strategy to win an election.

“It might be counterintuitive to a politician,” says Risley, who offered to share the 3,000-square-foot office space on Lighthouse Avenue with the other candidates. “But I’m not a politician. And it’s time someone ran against Sam Farr, who’s not a politician. I want every candidate in this race to have the opportunity for their voice to be heard.”

‘We are all challengers, none of whom have a realistic chance to win. We all know that.’
—Ray Glock-Grueneich, Green Party candidate

While their views on hot-button issues like education, taxes and military spending may clash dramatically, the five challengers seemed to get along swimmingly at the headquarters opening, posing with their arms around each other and chatting on cue for TV cameras. But while it was all smiles on Lighthouse Avenue, Farr’s campaign says the setup may be illegal.

Plasha Fielding, Farr’s campaign director, says the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act passed last year, outlaws such a joint effort.

“We are really clear about the new laws, and they are very clear that you can’t coordinate campaign efforts,” Fielding says. “It seems a little sketchy to me.”

Fielding also likened the shared campaign headquarters to Republicans writing big checks to Ralph Nader’s presidential campaign to draw votes away from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.  

“This is a way they can get media attention,” Fielding says.

Risley maintains that his campaign is on the up and up.

“We are trying to be in 100-percent compliance with the [Federal Election Commission] regulations,” he says. “This campaign already notified the FEC about the arrangement, and the account analyst assigned to this 17th District did not know the answer, and her supervisors did not know the answer,” as to whether or not Risley and the other four candidates could share campaign headquarters, he says.

“When I spoke with the FEC analyst this morning, she said this current activity is not on the books,” Risley says. “She said it must be taken up by the advisory committee. We will wait for a response on what the FEC’s ruling is.”

Risley says he expects a ruling from the FEC within 10 days. He says his campaign will comply with the decision.

“We will follow to the letter of the law. Is it my opinion that Mr. Farr is trying to harass us? I think you know the answer. Of course, that is exactly what he is trying to do. It’s amusing to me. But the democratic process will be served.”

Legality of the cooperative headquarters notwithstanding, the five challengers maintain a strangely united front when it comes to booting Farr out of office. 

Green Party candidate Ray Glock-Grueneich is frank about the reasons for the arrangement.

“We are all challengers, none of whom have a realistic chance to win,” Glock-Grueneich says. “We all know that.”

But that didn’t stop the candidates from sharing their politics and bashing the incumbent over the weekend.

“I don’t think I’d say ‘anybody but Farr,’” says Peace and Freedom party candidate Joe Williams. “I’m to the left of Farr. There are obviously a couple of candidates to the right of Farr. But we’re all united in the desire to see Farr gone.”

Muñoz, the youngest candidate in the race who, if elected, would be the first rapper in Congress, says he can reach the youth vote.

“The average constituent is 30 years old,” says Muñoz, a 25-year-old from Salinas. “Sam Farr is 63. If the average person is 30, and the largest city in the District is Salinas, then we have an un-representative representative.

“I will be the next congressman for this area. People want a new way of leadership, and people listen to artists much more than they do to politicians.”

Risley, who says the 17th District deserves a congressman “who understands fiscal responsibility,” returns to his favorite anti-Sam barb.

“Every two years, Farr has spent an average of $709,000 on his campaign,” Risley says. “For me, this is a return to the voice of the people. Should you buy the seat, or should you earn it?”

At press time, Farr was camping and could not be reached for comment. But on Aug. 21, Farr told the Monterey County Herald, “[Risley]’s full of crap. I haven’t spent anything like that.”

Fielding concurs. “That is not true,” she says. “I don’t know where on earth his numbers come from. In the 2002 election, over a two-year period of time, we only spent $565,000. We’re not even coming close to spending $700,000 this year.”

According to the most recent FEC filings, as of June 30, Farr had raised $412,761 and Risley had raised $29,654. The other four candidates did not report campaign financial activity.

“They keep talking about strength in numbers,” Fielding says. “Here’s a number: 101,632 votes in the 2002 election. We won by 68.8 percent of the vote.”