Democrats running in the two House special elections in May raised more than their GOP counterparts in the past few months — somewhat of an exception to the national trend that showed Republican candidates raking in more dough than their opponents.
Hawaii Senate President Colleen Hanabusa (D) raised the most last quarter in the special election race in the 1st district, but she has less money in the bank than Honolulu City Councilman Charles Djou (R).
Hanabusa brought in about $461,000 in the first three months of this year and reported having $329,000 in cash on hand at the end of March. Djou raised $298,000 in the first quarter and reported $492,000 in cash on hand.
The other Democrat in the winner-take-all May 22 contest, former Rep. Ed Case (R), raised $157,000 last quarter and loaned his campaign an additional $20,000 in personal funds. Case reported having $214,000 in the bank as of March 31.
Case wasn’t the only special election candidate opening up his checkbook to help his campaign. Businessman Tim Burns, the GOP nominee in Pennsylvania’s 12th district race to replace the late Rep. John Murtha (D), raised $226,000 in the first quarter, plus threw in an additional $150,000 of his own money — on top of the $75,000 that he had loaned his campaign earlier. Burns reported having $387,000 in reserve on March 31.
Democratic nominee Mark Critz, a top aide to Murtha, pulled in about the same amount during the period. He raised $376,000 and had $330,000 in the bank at the end of last month. His campaign also showed about $68,000 in debt to vendors.
Rep. Bill Cassidy has his blood drawn by Alesha Barbour during a free hepatitis screening in the Rayburn House Office Building hosted by the Congressional Viral Hepatitis Caucus to recognize "National Viral Hepatitis Testing Day."
Roll Call has launched a new feature, Hill Navigator, to advise congressional staffers and would-be staffers on how to manage workplace issues on Capitol Hill. Please send us your questions — anything from office etiquette, to handling awkward moments, to what happens when the work life gets too personal. Submissions will be treated anonymously.
