As campaign manager Waldman kept meticulous files on other candidates in the governor’s race, known familiarly as opposition research. Knowing opponents’ past records, and current platform and actions can be a critical determinant in an election. The depth of material prepared and accumulated by the Thornburgh campaign staff is a testament to the thoroughness of campaign research and where “no surprises” was a mantra. It was prudent also to be knowledgeable about the primary Democratic candidates, not knowing which would be Thornburgh’s opposition in a general election should he win the primary. There are clippings for each candidate, candidate assessments, plus biographical material both for Republicans and Democrats. This series is further divided into three subseries: Primary Candidates, General Election Candidate Assessments, and General Election Candidate News Clippings. The materials date from 1974 to 1978. Additional and significant material about the candidates can be found in the Dick Thornburgh Papers.
