Nick Troiano’s Been Scoping Out Washington for Years

Posted September 4, 2014 at 3:10pm

Aspiring lawmaker Nick Troiano is looking to broaden his fan base with a quirky new video and a crowd funded ad-buying campaign. Being on screen, however, remains a fairly new thing for the 20-something Pennsylvanian — unlike his extensive work behind the camera.

The independent candidate hoping to oust Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., this November recently unveiled a new spot pooh-poohing the contentious climate on Capitol Hill.

A Troiano aide said the plan is to plunk down whatever is necessary to get the “Washington’s a Zoo” message on TV between now and Election Day. The campaign expects to begin airing the ad during the week of Sept. 15, but is hoping to amplify the duration and scope of the media outreach by collecting supplementary capital via an online fundraising pitch .

Attracting prospective donors is always easier with personal touches.

Team Troiano will be rolling out a pair of companion endorsement videos — featuring kind words from ex-Sen. Alan K. Simpson, R-Wyo., (Troiano became acquainted with him through his work with The Can Kicks Back, an advocacy group focused on budgetary issues) and grunge rocker turned electoral reformer Krist Novoselic (brought together by FairVote) — before the Tilt bid expires.

The campaign is also offering up curated images from an extensive collection of time-lapse photos of D.C. Troiano and his mentor, the late Doug Bailey, captured over five years.

Those who toss $500 into the Tilt kitty can look forward to thumbing through the panoramic shots Troiano and Bailey compiled from Inauguration Day 2009 through June 2013.

Per Team Troiano, the duo programmed their camera, which was mounted in Bailey’s apartment just across the river in Rosslyn (same building as Top of the Town), to snap a pic at least once every hour. The 100,000 images they amassed fed their joint venture, New Beginnings Photography, a partnership that produced the aforementioned coffee table book as well as customizable canvas prints.

Not to mention all kinds of happy memories for Troiano, a Georgetown University grad.

“The project celebrates Washington as a city that has the potential for a new beginning every day, and Nick said that’s also why he is running, as he believes in the promise of a more functional and representative government,” Troiano spokeswoman Rachel Vierling shared via email. “He also hopes that when he has more time … to continue work on this unique and timeless project.”