肯塔基州保龄格林——梅根·温菲尔德向加油站店员道歉，她费力地撕开并清点那薄薄一叠钞票。清点结果最终出来了：23美元——只够给她的2013款吉普车加半箱油，开去当晚的竞选活动。
BOWLING GREEN, Ky.—Megan Wingfield apologized to the gas station clerk as she labored to unpeel and count the thin stack of bills. The tally, when it eventually arrived, was $23—good for half a tank for her 2013 Jeep to get her to that evening’s campaign event.
对32岁的温菲尔德来说，这点小小的屈辱只是她在肯塔基州第二国会选区、对阵资金雄厚的现任议员、开展这场捉襟见肘的竞选中的众多插曲之一。她最近把电动工具当掉了，“只为维持生计”。
For Wingfield, 32, a Democrat and first-time candidate, that small indignity was but one of many in a threadbare campaign she is running against a well-funded incumbent in Kentucky’s Second congressional district. She recently pawned her power tools “to make ends meet.”
她的竞选总部设在她与两只狗、一只猫合住的一居室公寓的一个角落里，配备了录制社交媒体视频常用的环形补光灯，还有一台架在捕兽夹上的笔记本电脑。
Her campaign headquarters, a nook in the one-bedroom apartment she shares with two dogs and a cat, features the usual ringlight for recording social-media videos and a laptop propped on a raccoon trap.
“我们不得不想办法利用现有资源，”温菲尔德挤在一把野营椅上说，“说到‘微薄预算’——这简直说到点子上了。”
“We’ve had to be resourceful,” said Wingfield, wedged into a camping chair. “When you talk about a shoestring budget—that pretty much hits the nail on the head.”
温菲尔德在保龄格林理发，她正寻求击败一位资金雄厚的现任议员。（Jon Cherry/WSJ 摄）根据广告追踪公司AdImpact的数据，这是历史上花费最昂贵的中期选举周期，候选人及其支持者花费近120亿美元，以扭转他们视为关乎生死存亡的选战局势。
Wingfield sits for a haircut in Bowling Green, where she is seeking to unseat a well-funded incumbent. (Jon CHerry for WSJ) This midterm cycle is the most expensive in history, with candidates and their backers spending nearly $12 billion, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, to swing races they have freighted with existential importance.
然后还有温菲尔德这样的候选人，他们不知怎么在漫天飞舞的钞票中保持了“干身”。大多数人根本没有机会击败资金更充裕的对手，尽管籍籍无名、囊中羞涩的候选人能以多种方式影响选情。（参见：阿拉斯加的丹·J·沙利文）在新泽西州南部第一国会选区，共和党人达蒙·加尔多是一名承包商，带着一丝堂吉诃德式的气质，他只买得起一块广告牌（成本：2100美元），却要去挑战现任众议员唐纳德·诺克罗斯，后者是该州民主党机器中的实权人物。
Then there are candidates like Wingfield, who have somehow managed to stay dry amid a deluge of dollars. Most don’t stand a chance against their better funded opponents, though no-name, no-money candidates can impact a race in many ways. (See: Dan J. Sullivan in Alaska) In southern New Jersey’s First Congressional District, Republican Damon Galdo, a contractor with a touch of Quixote, could afford only a single billboard (cost: $2,100) as he tilts at incumbent Rep. Donald Norcross, a powerful figure in the state’s Democratic machine.
“我没有他的钱，也没有他的知名度，”45岁的加尔多承认道，但“我对自己正在做的事情感觉很好。”他在展示位于西德普特福德的联排别墅里的“男人洞”，那里已被改造成他的竞选总部，他那支持他却也深受其累的妻子希瑟·安在一旁注视着。
“I don’t have his money or his name recognition,” conceded Galdo, 45, but “I feel good about what I’m doing.”He was showing off the man cave in his attached home in West Deptford that he has turned into his campaign headquarters as his supportive but suffering wife, Heather Ann, looked on.
新泽西州第一国会选区的共和党候选人达蒙·加尔多只买得起一块广告牌。（米歇尔·古斯塔夫森/《华尔街日报》摄）加尔多安排了一场直播辩论，对手是一等身大小的诺克罗斯硬纸板剪影，因为对方无视了他的邀请。（米歇尔·古斯塔夫森/《华尔街日报》摄）据加尔多回忆，他的政治生涯源于一次打赌。“有个朋友——他做网站的。他说，‘我受够你光说不练了。如果你竞选国会议员，我就给你做个网站，’”加尔多回忆起2022年的首次参选，当时他在共和党初选中未能突围。
Damon Galdo, a Republican candidate in New Jersey’s First Congressional District, could only afford one billboard. (Michelle Gustafson for WSJ) Galdo staged a livestreamed debate against a life-size cardboard cutout of his opponent, who ignored his invitations. (Michelle Gustafson for WSJ) As Galdo tells it, his political career was born of a dare. “A friend of mine—he makes websites. He said, ‘I’m tired of you talking about this. If you run for Congress, I’ll make you a website,’” Galdo recalled of his first run in 2022, when he failed to crack the Republican primary.
他在2024年再次落选，本打算不参加这次竞选，直到当地党魁点将。他们没说的是，他们几乎没钱给。即使他在向前联合主席拉拉·特朗普求助后，共和党全国委员会也拒绝掏腰包。
He lost again in 2024 and was inclined to sit this race out, until local party bosses tapped him. What they didn’t say is that they had little money to offer. The Republican National Committee refused to open its wallet, even after he appealed to its former co-chair, Lara Trump.
“他们把新泽西州视为无望之地，”他叹了口气。根据联邦选举委员会的备案文件，他仅筹集了略超1.6万美元。“而我要面对的是一个庞然大物，”加尔多谈到诺克罗斯时说，截至10月中旬，对方的竞选账户上躺着240万美元。
“They look at New Jersey as a lost cause,” he sighed. He has raised just over $16,000, according to Federal Election Commission filings. “And here I am going up against a juggernaut,” Galdo said of Norcross, whose campaign was sitting on $2.4 million in mid-October.
加尔多靠拼劲和胆识来弥补。他最近安排了一场直播辩论，对手是一等身大小的诺克罗斯硬纸板剪影，因为对方无视了他的邀请。
Galdo compensates with hustle and chutzpah. He recently staged a livestreamed debate against a life-size cardboard cutout of Norcross, who ignored his invitations.
“他是我共事过最拼命的候选人之一，”加尔多精明能干的助手弗兰克·恰巴托尼说道，年仅15岁。
“He’s one of the hardest-working candidates I’ve ever worked with,” said Galdo’s whip-smart aide, Frank Ciabbatoni, who is 15.
加尔多（右）与助手、15岁的弗兰克·恰巴托尼交谈。（米歇尔·古斯塔夫森/《华尔街日报》摄）恰巴托尼陪同加尔多一家离开新泽西州韦斯特维尔的社区中心，此前候选人刚完成投票。（米歇尔·古斯塔夫森摄）“他是个天才，”加尔多说道，随后又补充道：“我还得开车送他到处跑。他还没拿到驾照。”
Galdo, right, talks with his aide, 15-year-old Frank Ciabattoni. (Michelle Gustafson for WSJ) Ciabattoni leaves a Westville, N.J. community center with Galdo’s family after the candidate voted. (Michelle Gustafson) “He’s a prodigy,” Galdo said, then added: “I have to chauffeur him around. He doesn’t have his license yet.”
最近的一个傍晚，加尔多和他的团队深入诺克罗斯的地盘：卡姆登的一家图书馆，那里是民主党的坚固堡垒。在一间侧室里，他们摆好了折叠椅，准备举办一场“与候选人见面”的活动。大约十几个人到场。当一名女子摆出一盘盘芝士通心粉和炸鸡时，一只老鼠从门底下窜了过去。
On a recent evening, Galdo and his crew went deep into Norcross territory: a library in Camden, a Democratic stronghold. In a side room, they’d set up folding chairs for a “meet the candidate” event. About a dozen people showed up. As a woman set out trays of macaroni-and-cheese and fried chicken, a mouse scurried under a door.
加尔多毫不气馁，拿起麦克风，将自己作为手艺人的职业生涯与压在他妻子身上的学生贷款做了对比。他承诺，如果当选，将把工会和职业培训引入卡姆登的学校。
Unbowed, Galdo took the microphone and contrasted his career as a tradesman with the student loans that burdened his wife. He promised to bring unions and vocational training to Camden’s schools if elected.
加尔多还曾在2022年和2024年竞选国会议员。（米歇尔·古斯塔夫森为《华尔街日报》拍摄）许多资金拮据的候选人依靠朋友免费为他们掌舵竞选活动。对于在得克萨斯州深红第25选区参选的民主党人迪奥妮·西姆斯来说，这个人就是政治顾问鲁比·埃尔巴沙。
Galdo also ran for Congress in 2022 and 2024. (Michelle Gustafson for WSJ) Many shoestring candidates rely on friends to helm their campaigns for free. For Dione Sims, a Democrat running in Texas’ deep-red 25th district, that is political consultant Ruby ElBasha.
她曾是拜登和伯尼·桑德斯竞选团队的老将，后来迷上了西姆斯——一位民权偶像的孙女——并结束退休生活来帮忙。“我的朋友们都说：‘姑娘，你还在给那个穷姑娘搞竞选啊？’因为她们都在给罗伊·库珀和[詹姆斯]塔拉里科那些人干活，”她说。
A veteran of the Biden and Bernie Sanders campaigns, she fell for Sims, the granddaughter of a civil rights icon, and came out of retirement to help. “My friends are saying: ‘Girl, you still working on that broke girl’s campaign?’ Cause they’re working on the Roy Coopers and the [James] Talaricos,” she said.
回到肯塔基州，温菲尔德的敌人是距离。她竞选资金的大部分都花在了油费上，因为她沿着65号州际公路来回奔波，参加一切活动，就像一个苦苦挣扎的乡村歌手追逐下一场演出。
Back in Kentucky, Wingfield’s foe is distance. Most of her campaign money goes to gas, as she drives up and down Interstate 65 to any and all events, like a struggling country singer chasing her next gig.
温菲尔德是一名机械师兼护理员，她说自己是在特朗普获胜后投身活动的。（乔恩·切里为《华尔街日报》拍摄）温菲尔德是一名机械师，现在兼职做护理员。特朗普获胜后，她投身当地的活动，在参加竞选前曾在反ICE抗议活动中发言。在肯塔基州农村作为同性恋者和穷人长大，让她脸皮厚实，也赋予了她维持一场小本竞选所需的足智多谋。
Wingfield, a mechanic and caregiver, says she waded into activism after Trump’s victory. (Jon Cherry for WSJ) A mechanic who now works as a part-time caregiver, Wingfield waded into local activism after Trump’s victory and spoke at anti-ICE protests before entering the race. Growing up gay and poor in rural Kentucky has given her a thick skin and the resourcefulness to sustain a nickel-and-dime campaign.
“几乎所有你能想到的传统竞选活动做过的事，都可以直接扔出窗外了，”她说，并举例提到了电话拉票和广播广告之类的方式。
“Pretty much anything you can think of that a traditional campaign would have done, you can just throw that out the window,” she said, citing things like phone banks and radio ads.
她希望选民能觉得她接地气：“如果我们能在一件事上达成共识，那就是我们谁都付不起账单。”
She is hoping voters will find her relatable: “If there’s one thing we can collectively agree on it’s that none of us can afford to pay our bills.”
她的对手、肯塔基州共和党众议员布雷特·格思里担任众议院能源和商业委员会主席，其竞选团队在本选举周期筹集了近600万美元。
Her opponent, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R., Ky.) chairs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and his campaign raised nearly $6 million during the election cycle.
和其他首次参选的候选人一样，温菲尔德发现，当你已经有钱时，筹钱要容易得多。“除非你能筹到10万美元，否则他们不会背书你，”她谈到自己曾求助过的进步派团体时说，“他们看都不会看你一眼。”
Like other first-time candidates, Wingfield has discovered it is far easier to raise money when you already have it. “Unless you raise $100,000, they won’t endorse you,” she said of the progressive groups she has petitioned for support. “They won’t look at you.”
温菲尔德说，在肯塔基州农村贫穷且身为同性恋者长大，让她脸皮变厚了。（乔恩·切里为《华尔街日报》拍摄）温菲尔德和两只狗以及一只名叫“煎饼”的猫同住一套公寓。（乔恩·切里为《华尔街日报》拍摄）尽管如此，她还是在5月一场竞争激烈的民主党初选中胜出，赢得41%的选票。这带来了认可，还有美国汽车工人联合会开出的5000美元支票。
Wingfield says growing up poor and gay in rural Kentucky gave her thick skin. (Jon Cherry for WSJ) Wingfield shares her apartment with two dogs and a cat named Pancake. (Jon Cherry for WSJ) Still, she prevailed in a crowded Democratic primary in May, winning 41% of the vote. That brought validation and a $5,000 check from the United Auto Workers union.
她用这笔钱买了庭院标语牌和一条横幅。她还以极低的报酬雇用了竞选经理科尔·福斯特。福斯特是住在新奥尔良的兼职来福车司机，是在TikTok上发现这位候选人的。
She used that to buy lawn signs and a banner. She also paid a pittance to her campaign manager, Cole Foster, a part-time Lyft driver who lives in New Orleans and discovered the candidate on TikTok.
“我大概再也不会把钱花在印刷品上了，因为人们只会把那些东西扔掉，”温菲尔德谈到自己吸取的教训时说。
“I probably will never spend money again on print because people just throw that stuff away,” Wingfield said, of lessons learned.
最近一个傍晚，她驾车在65号州际公路上疾驰，风拍打着吉普车的软顶，前往一场她甚至未被邀请发言的活动。那是哈丁县民主党妇女俱乐部的会议。
One recent evening, she was roaring down I-65, wind beating against the Jeep’s ragtop, bound for an event where she wasn’t even invited to speak. It was a meeting of the Hardin County Democratic Women’s Club.
会议在诺克斯堡附近一个社区中心的地下室举行。盘子里堆满了炸鸡、青豆和土豆沙拉。天生爱聊的温菲尔德与人攀谈起来。随后，令她意外的是，她被叫上了讲台。
It was held in the basement of a community center near Fort Knox. Plates were piled with fried chicken, green beans and potato salad. Wingfield, a natural yapper, mingled. Then, to her surprise, she was called to the podium.
温菲尔德在哈丁县民主党妇女俱乐部的一次会议上发言。（乔恩·切里为《华尔街日报》拍摄）她没有讲稿，猛烈抨击了特朗普——但也谈到了“在如此艰难、令人煎熬的时刻中的美好瞬间”。她谈到，一个初选只筹到4000美元的人站在他们面前是多么不可思议，并指出女性“天生熟悉”不得不收拾并非自己造成的烂摊子的处境。人们开始点头。
Wingfield speaks during a meeting of the Hardin County Democratic Women’s Club. (Jon Cherry for WSJ) Without notes, she bashed Trump—but also spoke about the “beautiful moments in such hard, trying times.”She talked about the improbability of someone who raised only $4,000 for her primary standing before them, and noted how women were “inherently familiar” with having to clean up messes they didn’t create. Heads began to nod.
“她讲得很好，”参加者之一杰基·班克斯-刘易斯在演讲后说。“那是我第一次听她讲话。”
“She did good,” Jackie Banks-Lewis, one of the attendees, said after the speech. “That was my first time hearing her.”
温菲尔德对自己的胜算不抱幻想。得票差距缩小到十几个百分点就算成功。这也可能成为2028年再次参选——且资金更充足——的跳板。温菲尔德说：“这确实是我做过的最有满足感的工作。”
Wingfield has few illusions about her chances. Coming within a dozen points would qualify as a success. It might also be a springboard for another—better-funded—run in 2028. Said Wingfield: “This is really the most satisfying work I’ve ever done.”
温菲尔德表示，得票差距缩小到十几个百分点就算成功。（乔恩·切里为《华尔街日报》拍摄）
Wingfield says coming within a dozen points would qualify as a success. (Jon Cherry for WSJ)
