Fundraising: Campaigns Begin to Release Numbers
Crowing campaigns are beginning to leak their first-quarter fundraising numbers. Generally, any campaign releasing its fundraising numbers this early is happy with its totals. Reports must be postmarked by midnight Sunday.
- Mo. Senate: Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) raised $2.3 million and has about $6 million in cash on hand.
- Wis. Senate: Former Rep. Mark Neumann (R) raised $650,000. Although his campaign did not release cash on hand, the campaign noted that none of the money came “from Neumann himself.”
- CA-02: Democratic activist Norman Solomon announced raising “more than $200,000” in the first quarter, none of which came from corporate political action committees or lobbyists. Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D), the only favorite to advance past the June 5 top-two primary, has yet to release his numbers.
- CA-26: State Sen. Tony Strickland turned in a whopping $770,000 first-quarter haul in this open-seat race. Strickland is the only Republican running after Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks opted to run as an Independent, which gives her a better chance to advance beyond the June 5 top-two primary. State Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, the favorite among the Democrats, announced last week raising $280,000 after entering the race in February. She had more than $250,000 on hand at the end of March, while Strickland, who is practically assured of making it to the general election, had $720,000.
- CA-39: Jay Chen (D), a small-businessman facing an uphill challenge to Rep. Ed Royce (R), announced raising $305,000 in just eight weeks in the race for this redrawn district in Orange County. Royce has yet to announce his haul, but it’s a good bet Chen’s impressive $247,000 in cash on hand will still be far behind the 10-term incumbent.
- FL-06: For this open Republican-leaning seat, political newcomer Ron DeSantis (R) wowed Sunshine State GOP operatives by raising $227,000 in the first quarter. His campaign said he ended March with $218,000 in cash on hand. DeSantis, 33, has an impressive résumé. A Navy JAG officer who served in Iraq, DeSantis graduated from Yale University and Harvard Law School. The GOP field is still fluid, but he appears likely to face former Ruth’s Chris CEO Craig Miller, who recently dropped a Senate bid; Jacksonville City Councilman Richard Clark; and state Rep. Fred Costello, among others.
- NH-02: Ann McLane Kuster raised $350,000 and has more than $1 million in the bank.
- NM-01: Michelle Lujan Grisham, one of three Democrats vying for the Albuquerque-based seat of Rep. Martin Heinrich (D), announced raising $205,000 in the first quarter and ending March with $344,000 in cash on hand. The Bernalillo County commissioner’s primary opponents, former Albuquerque Mayor Marty Chavez and state Sen. Eric Griego, have yet to announce their fundraising.
One candidate who did not have a good report:
- AZ-08 Special Election: State Sen. Frank Antenori filed his pre-primary special election report five days ago, and it revealed he raised only $37,000 and was nearly $3,000 in debt. These numbers are far behind his GOP rivals and even further behind de facto Democratic nominee Ron Barber.
