Jefferson, Outraised, Gets Plenty of Help From CBC

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Embattled Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.) got a late-September fundraising boost from his Congressional Black Caucus colleagues, newly filed third-quarter reports showed, although his leading primary opponent still outraised him by a 2-1 margin.

Jefferson raised $160,000 in the third quarter of the year and ended September with $333,000 in his campaign account.

State Rep. Karen Carter (D), considered Jefferson’s leading opponent in the Nov. 7 all-party primary, raised $327,000 in the three-month period, the first quarter she has reported with the Federal Election Commission. She had $225,000 left in the bank at the end of last month.

Jefferson spent $148,000 last quarter, compared with Carter’s $102,000.

Last weekend, Carter garnered the endorsement of the Louisiana Democratic Party’s State Central Committee, which voted 69-53 to back her over Jefferson.

Twelve candidates filed to challenge Jefferson, and if no candidate receives 50 percent of the vote, a December runoff between the top two vote-getters, regardless of party, will be held.

Jefferson has been the subject of a federal bribery investigation since last year. He has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.

He had previously announced he has the backing of the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee and Jefferson Parish Democratic Executive Committee as well as the endorsement of New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

Some of Carter’s highest-profile donations last quarter came from former Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), Louisiana Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu (D), who lost a race against Nagin earlier this year, and former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D).

Among her individual contributors was Norma Jane Sabiston, a former chief of staff to Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.). She also received money from several influential New Orleans Republicans who are supporting her candidacy.

Jefferson’s third-quarter performance was much improved from the second quarter, in which he raised just $58,000. He also ended September with roughly the same amount of cash on hand as he did at the end of June.

Jefferson received $21,500 from CBC members and their political action committees in the third quarter, with all of the donations coming in the last days of September.

Those contributing to Jefferson were Democratic Reps. James Clyburn (S.C.), Bennie Thompson (Miss.), Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Mich.), Danny Davis (Ill.), Donald Payne (N.J.), Diane Watson (Calif.), Bobby Rush (Ill.), Charlie Rangel (N.Y.) and CBC Chairman Mel Watt (N.C.).

Former CBC members Alan Wheat (D-Mo.) and Cleo Fields (D-La.) also contributed to Jefferson.

This week, Jefferson announced the launch of a new campaign Web site and a toll-free campaign number.

His new campaign site allows supporters to give online contributions, a feature he hopes will increase the number of small-dollar donations.

“We want everyone to be a part of this campaign in any way they can,” Jefferson said in a statement. “This is just another aspect of my outreach to all the constituents in the 2nd Congressional District so that they may know how I am still fighting and winning for each of them every single day.”

The other well-known Democratic contenders in the 2nd district are state Sen. Derrick Shepherd and former state Rep. Troy Carter, who is also a former New Orleans city councilman.

Shepherd raised $246,000 in the third quarter but had just $40,000 left in reserve after spending heavily on television ads in the third quarter.

Troy Carter raised $61,000 in the quarter but had just $8,000 in his campaign kitty as of Sept. 30.

Attorney Joe Lavigne, the leading Republican candidate in the overwhelmingly Democratic New Orleans-based district, raised $30,000 in the period and had $106,000 left at month’s end.