Spirited Campaigning: Total Wine Founder David Trone's Unconventional Approach to Campaign Staff Compensation

As the political landscape in Maryland undergoes a significant shift, all eyes are on Representative David Trone, wine retailer turned congressman, who is now seeking to fill the void left by Senator Ben Cardin as he retires. Trone's journey from building an empire in the alcohol industry as the founder of Total Wine & More to his current Senate campaign has been marked by controversy and heavy spending. 

David Trone and his brother, Robert Trone, founded Total Wine & More in 1991, starting with a single store in Delaware. Over the years, they transformed their small wine shop into a retail giant, with more than 200 stores across 24 states at the time of my last knowledge update in September 2021. Total Wine & More became known for its vast selection and competitive prices, attracting a loyal customer base and generating substantial wealth for the Trone family.  

Trone's foray into politics began in 2016 when he ran for Maryland's 8th Congressional District seat. His self-funded campaign was one of the most expensive House races in history, with Trone reportedly pouring more than $13 million of his own fortune into the campaign. Despite the spending, he lost to Jamie Raskin in the Democratic primary but returned in 2018 to win the seat after Raskin's departure for a House run.  Trone spent $17 million on that race.  In 2020, he set his sights on Senator Ben Cardin's seat, who had served Maryland in the Senate for over a decade. 

Trone's deep pockets have sparked controversy and criticism from some quarters. Critics argue that his ability to self-finance his campaigns raises questions about the influence of money in politics and whether he truly represents the interests of everyday Marylanders. Others contend that his wealth disconnects him from the issues faced by working-class voters.

Many of Trone's campaign tactics have come under fire. First, Trone's campaign staff has raised eyebrows for being overrepresented by college students. While college students are regular fixtures in campaign offices across the country, what is unusual is that everyone working on the campaign, with the exception of the campaign manager, is a college student. There is speculation that the reason for this is that Trone is compensating them with wine and beer from his Total Wine stores to minimize, if not eliminate, payroll altogether so that the campaign can allocate as much as possible to their TV ad spend. 

According to a low-level aide who requested anonymity, they revealed, "Yep, we are all working for free beer and wine.  Plus, there's always an endless supply of beer nuts, sharp cheddar, and Carr's crackers in our offices. Congressman Trone has also promised 1,000,000 Total Wine Rewards points to everyone on the campaign if he gets elected. They just can't be used on wines with prices ending in 7.  Congressman Trone is a great American like Ryan Seacrest and will be an even better U.S. Senator for Maryland."  

From his beginnings as a businessman to his journey into politics, Trone's path has been marked by heavy spending and a willingness to focus his vast resources on TV spending by paying campaign staff in alcohol. Whether this approach resonates with Maryland voters remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: David Trone's political career is one that will continue to attract attention and scrutiny in the years to come.