A renewed campaign to give the representative from Washington, D.C. the right to vote in Congress is gaining ground with lobbyists for civil rights groups, ethics watchdogs and unions gearing up for a new push next year.

Money is being raised, powerful lobbyists are offering their time free of charge and supporters are traveling the country to spread the message that the city that houses the Capitol deserves a vote inside. Advocates for D.C. voting rights sense that education can help them bridge the gap in votes needed.

That could set the stage for a successful vote on D.C. voting rights in 2009. In September 2007, legislation died in the Senate, falling three votes short of the 60 needed to close off debate.

More funding for the lobbying effort, which will primarily be concentrated in an ad campaign, and less restrictions on that funding could make a difference in whether the District receives full representation, lobbyists say. Only a few more votes are needed, and pressure from constituents outside of Washington could change some minds.

“It has the potential to put us over the top,” said Edwin Davis, director of research for Common Cause , a public interest group. “If you have more of an aggressive campaign in outside states, that helps us because the people we are calling and e-mailing should already know about the issue. The more people know about an issue, the more likely they are to respond.”

Davis will not be alone in lobbying for a District congressional vote. Over the years, a wide swath of liberal organizations have pushed for D.C. voting rights, from the National Association of Advancement for Colored People to the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union . The American Civil Liberties Union and the League of Women Voters have also lobbied on the issue.

Overall, 35 national organizations are part of a coalition coordinated by DC Vote and listed on their website that are for legislation giving Washington a vote in Congress.

One of Washington’s most prominent lobbying firms is also helping out. About 12 lobbyists at Patton Boggs have worked on the issue on a pro-bono basis.

“I really look at this as a human issue,” said Ed Newberry, deputy managing partner at Patton Boggs. “At the end of the day, it comes down for me to help people in the District of Columbia to have a real voice in the federal government.”

Newberry began lobbying for D.C. voting rights after attending a meeting of Washington business leaders and activists two years ago. WTOP radio political analyst Mark Plotkin invited Newberry and asked him to help the District.

“He said, ‘You need to get involved in this issue,’ ” said Newberry of Plotkin. Newberry said more funding will help his work since it will boost outreach to elected officials outside of Washington.

If passed, the $500,000 grant, part of the city’s fiscal 2009 budget, would be the third one sent to DC Vote. Prior grants arrived in 2006 and 2007. The advocacy group’s budget last year was $1.8 million, with the majority of funds raised from private sources.

More importantly, the new funding will come without any restrictions on how it can be spent.

Democrats have promised again to lift any prohibition on funding for the city’s lobbying efforts.

Rep. José Serrano (D-N.Y.), as chairman of the House Appropriations financial services subcommittee, removed a funding ban for the District on lobbying for voting rights last year.

The Bush administration placed the ban in this year’s federal budget, but Serrano said he would ax it again. The president, however, has said in the past that he would veto a bill granting a congressional vote to Washington.

“I strongly feel that D.C. leaders should have freedom to act as they see fit wherever possible. I do not think D.C. needs a second mayor in Congress,” said Serrano in a statement to The Hill.

Removing the ban will free up DC Vote to create a more aggressive public awareness campaign that will complement their partners’ lobbying on Capitol Hill.

“Part of the challenge here is that most Americans do not know that Washingtonians do not have a vote here in Congress,” said Ilir Zherka, DC Vote’s executive director. “With the lobbying rider lifted, we can say, ‘Here’s a problem. Let’s fix that. Call this member or senator.’ ”

Zherka said his organization, through the campaign, will be asking people around the country to help lobby Congress. City government employees can also lobby for voting rights. Neither would have been possible before, under the ban.

Zherka and others at DC Vote are heading to Mississippi this week to build support for District voting rights. This follows visits to Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.

If it does not pass this year, legislation for a District congressional vote should have better odds next Congress.

Democrats are expected to make gains during the November elections and increase their majorities in both the House and the Senate. Many Republicans have opposed such legislation because of constitutional reasons, with some calling for an amendment instead.  

Both remaining Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) and Barack Obama (Ill.), have supported full representation of the District in Congress, voting for cloture last September.

The GOP’s presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), joined the majority of his party in opposing ending debate on the issue.