In a US Senate primary where no one has substantial name recognition, money is the only thing that matters. EMILY’s List’s endorsement of Deborah Ross now makes her the clear frontrunner. The organization will make sure that she has the money to get her message out and reach the 800,000 or so people who vote in the Democratic primary in March.

The endorsement also means that Ross is going to have a strong finance report. EMILY’s List held off on endorsing her until they knew her fourth quarter numbers. If Ross had a weak haul, they would have held off longer. She probably exceeded $500,000 for the quarter.

Ross’ opponents are questioning her electability in the general election because of stances she took as executive director of the ACLU. They may have a point, but without the resources to amplify their accusations in paid media, only a small portion of the electorate will hear them.

Turnout in the Democratic primary depends on whether or not the presidential contest is still undecided. If Sanders and Clinton are still battling, then turnout could reach as much as 1.5 million. If not, it could still be more than 600,000. Reaching enough of those people to influence their decisions takes big bucks. EMILY’s List will make sure Ross has it. I’m not sure Chris Rey or Kevin Griffin do.