At long last, we’ve compiled all the House fundraising numbers you need to know from the FEC database for the first quarter of 2010. (Note, as always, that these numbers are in thousands.)
A few quick notes:
- Democratic challengers who out-raised Republican incumbents: Stephen Raby (AL-05), Ami Bera (CA-03), Cedric Richmond (LA-02), and Tommy Sowers (MO-08).
- Republican challengers who out-raised Democratic incumbents: Jonathan Paton (AZ-08), David Harmer (CA-11), Allen West (FL-22), Andy Harris (MD-01), Steven Palazzo (MS-04), Jeff Miller (NC-11), Rich Ashooh (NH-01), Frank Guinta (NH-01), Scott Sipprelle (NJ-12), Steve Pearce (NM-02), Matt Doheny (NY-23), Richard Hanna (NY-24), Steve Stivers (OH-15), and Scott Rigell (VA-02).
- Democratic challengers with more cash-on-hand than Republican incumbents: Ami Bera (CA-03), Tom Hayhurst (IN-03), Doug Pike (PA-06), John Callahan (PA-15), and Suzan Delbene (WA-08).
- Republican challengers with more cash-on-hand than Democratic incumbents: Randy Altschuler (NY-01), Nan Hayworth (NY-19), Matt Doheny (NY-23), Tom Ganley (OH-13), and David McKinley (WV-01).
- The Swing State Project Award in Recognition of Unparalleled Political Malpractice for 2010 (“The Hostettler”): This quarter’s winner is none other than Larry Kissell (NC-08), for the absolutely pathetic first quarter haul of $72 grand. As a frosh incumbent holding a vulnerable seat, you almost have to try in order to raise that little. That’s positively John Hostettler-esque.
I think there should be more than one category in the SSP John Hostettler Memorial* Political Horserace Awards, or the Hossies.
For each quarter, there should be one for freshmen (Kissell, obvs). One for challengers (this one should probably be for highly-touted challengers who fall short, since there are often so many total losers/nonentities in this category). One for long-time incumbents who are now just phoning it in. Et cetera. Just a thought.
*he’s not dead, but his political career is!
Are these numbers in the thousands or did people really raise totals like $28?
to Kissell is Gene Taylor, who raised a whopping $40K, although his seat is probably less competitive.
An inept blue collar guy who suddenly finds himself in Congress. The spectacular duo of DCCC recruiting failures in this district saddled us with him. Here’s a guy that ran as a populist progressive, had extensive netroots backers, and then turns around and votes against healthcare reform.
I’m actually starting to worry less about some of the perceived top targets for Republicans and more about some sleeper races. Robert Hurt seems to just be failing in VA-05, fundraising-wise and in terms of getting the local conservatives behind him while Pierrello is running a very good campaign.
Raj Goyle continues to dominate over in Kansas, maybe he has some chance in hell at pulling this off by simply outspending the winner of a divided Republican primary 5:1 in the general.
But for instance, I’m worried about Ron Klein. He represents a very marginal district; its pretty much jammed at 52% for Democrats because Republicans put every non-Cuban conservative voter in South Florida in it. Klein ignored West last time around and only got 55% of the vote. This time the environment is better, seniors are worried about medicare, and West has a lot more money. Klein can’t take this race for granted.
Betty Sutton too, I worry about. Because she represents a blue collar district that is not overwhelmingly Democratic, Obama got less than 60% of the vote there and there could be a lot of dissatisfaction in districts like this. Ganley has enough money to sink her and she doesn’t seem to be raising anything, or to have raised anything over the last 3 years of non-competition. What kind of lousy politician doesn’t keep back money around? She is such a poor fundraiser.
Carol Shea-Porter too, you’d think she’d be raising more, but her specialty is her grassroots base and personal charm, which she has had an additional two years to sort of continue developing in Manchester, so I’m not too worried, she’s tended to outperform her poll position on general election day by a significant margin, and right now she’s pretty much been tied in all the legitimate polls.
Simply monstrous haul for Paton, too bad Giffords has an enormous warchest.
I was going to ask, can we get one of these for like Senate races too?
How did Steve Raby manage to spend just $1K this cycle, especially given his cash haul? Is his entire staff working for free? I’m all for frugality, but that’s an almost unbelievable level of cost-cutting.
): The thought is troubling folks, troubling. I hear the argument here all the time that Teague can self fund, but it won’t be NEARLY enough.
And why does he have 800k?