No later than the 15th day after the end of all quarters save the fourth, campaigns must file their fundraising reports with the FEC. For the third quarter, that much-anticipated day is today. As we’ve seen, many campaigns choose to file early, but we should still expect to see a flood of reports, at least from House candidates.
Senate reports are also due today, but thanks to truly insane regulations, these reports are filed in hardcopy and then, at great expense and lousy resolution, scanned in electronically. This doesn’t just cost money, it takes time as well – there’s at least a three-to-four week lag before these reports become available. That means reports from the third quarter next year won’t even be available until after the election! (For more on this insane state of affairs – which is entirely the fault of the Republicans – and what you can do to help, read Adam B here.)
Obviously, this is wildly unacceptable in this modern age. So I have a piece of advice for smart Senate campaigns across the country: post your filings on your websites. Not just a press release with your totals raised and on-hand – I’m talking about the entire PDF, or better yet, an Excel spreadsheet. Not only should these campaigns have nothing to hide, there’s nothing they can hide, because all this information will become public soon anyway.
This also leads me to another point. In the online era, the concept of quarterly filings seems rather antique. While I doubt that hidebound legislators would ever go in for this, I think some form of rolling disclosures would make a lot more sense. On one occasion, I worked in the finance department of a campaign, and we had to track donations daily anyway. Shooting this information over to the FEC on, say, a weekly basis would have meant almost zero additional work, except perhaps hitting “upload.”
The fact is, some form of this is already happening now. ActBlue updates totals in real time, and a growing number of campaigns use it as their exclusive online donation mechanism. Obviously these numbers don’t reflect checks received at live events and the like, but as ever-increasing amounts of money are contributed on the Internet, ActBlue totals are becoming more meaningful.
Like I say, I’m sure most politicians would resist this sort of reform. But with things like ActBlue and Dean bats pushing them, some smart campaigns will embrace this sort of open-ness.
In the meantime, though, I’m looking forward to all the third quarter reports. James will have a mammoth chart of all available numbers as soon as it’s feasible, but for now, you can catch up on all the early reports at these links:
Fundraising Reports | Son of… | Bride of… | Revenge of… | Indiana Jones and…
The challenger to 1st term Rep. Chris Murphy posts weak 3rd Quarter number – off 65% from 2nd Quarter…
In what should be the Dem’s only real race on defense, Senator Landrieu announced her 3Q numbers today. Raised $857,000. CoH is 3.4 million. The following is from an e-mail she sent me.
I know this district isn’t a top target, especially with Marlowe’s disappointing performance in the special election. However, one Democratic candidate named Bobby Saxon is making some waves. He raised $44,000 over just four weeks, more than any Democratic candidate in that district for the first quarter in ten years.
Dan Lipinski had a poor showing for an incumbent.
Illinois-03
(D-Inc) Dan Lipinski
Raised: $75,600
CoH: $321,373
Mark Pera is one of three primary challengers, the bloggers favorite primary challenger. He hasn’t filed with the FEC yet. Here’s someone who has though.
IL-03
(D) Jerry Bennett
Raised: $30,915
CoH: $49,927 (-$24,885 in debts = $25,042 Real CoH)
$118857.83 raised this quarter
$224847.24 CoH
FEC filing shows (numbers rounded) that she raised 148,000 in 3Q, bringing her total raised up to $417,000. In 2Q, she raised $154,000.
Cash on hand at the end of 3Q is $376,000. At the end of 2Q, CoH was $256,000.
http://images.nictus…
Chet Edwards (TX-17) looks good:
$301,930.48 in Q3, $921,223.46 COH, $1,179.76 in Debts
Larry Joe (TX-10)
$53,765.00 in Q3, $171,236.60 COH, $100,000.00 in Debts
Dan Grant (TX-10)
$45,247.00 in Q3, $72,247.01 COH, no debts
Ciro Rodriguez (TX-23)
$105,154.05 in Q3, $592,062.81 COH, $2,139.00 in Debts
Lampson has not posted yet (9:58 p.m. 10/15)
On the Republican Side:
TX-22 ROUND-UP!
Sekula-Gibbs
$174,353.07 in Q3, $465,399.77 COH, $496,000.00 in Debts
State Rep. Talton
$1,299.00 in Q3, $224.88 COH, $800.00 in Debts
Squier
$13,400.00 Raised and COH
Former Sugarland Mayor Hrbacek
$109,195.00 in Q3, $119,899.45 COH, $68,952.44 in Debts
Student Steinberg, Cornyn’s Former Chief of Staff Olson, and Pasadena Mayor Manlove have not yet filed (Manlove did enter after Oct 1, however)
BOR is reporting Mike McCaul (R-TX-10) is finishing in the red once his debts are acocunted for. $77,145 raised in Q3 for him. $124,873.59 COH, and $170,856.57 in debts.
Also Ralph Hall raised $83,224.71 and has three primary challengers. I expect a retirement. His closest challenger was former Frisco Mayor Kathy Seei at $15,690.88 raised
On a personal note, I am VERY pleased to report that the primary challenger to Rep. Ron Paul, Friendswood City Councilman Chris Peden, raised $8,654.00 in Q3, has $363.15 COH, and has $10,298.69 in Debts. Paul is bad, Peden is crazy.
Just pulled this off of Daily Kos (from Kos himself)
“Mark Warner (D) $1.1 million (entered race 9/13, so two weeks)
Jim Gilmore (R) $200,000
Tom Davis (R) $222,000″
Wow, in a mere two-week period, Mark Warner has out-fundraised the combined numbers of Gilmore and Davis 2.5 to 1, that is great.
McNerney (D) raised $234,000 in 3Q for a total to date raised of $1.4 million. CoH is $758,000.
Andal (R) raised $101,000 for total to date of $389,000. He has CoH of $351,000.
McNerney has raised money far faster than Pombo did for 2006. And I bet the money is clean!
Charlie Brown continues to swamp dirty Doolittle.
Brown raised $212,000 in 3Q for a total to date of $499,000. He reports CoH of $382,000.
Incumbent Rep. Doolittle raised ONLY $55,000 in 3Q for a total to date of $302,000. He reports CoH of AN AMAZING $38,000.
John Barrow raises $261,316.31 in the third quarter and has $944,891.82 on hand.
From today's Hotline.
3rdQ 3rdQ 3rdQ
Indiv. Total Oper. Cash
Contr. Receipts Exp. PACs Debt On-Hand
Alabama
SESSIONS (R) 474,536 687,913 242,499 110,550 0 3,589,929
Figures (D)*******************Not Available*******************************
Alaska
STEVENS (R) 303,767 466,182 249,094 142,550 0 1,073,242
Caldero (D)*******************Not Available*******************************
Arkansas
PRYOR (D) 401,656 565,338 178,917 158,650 0 3,268,637
Huckabee (R)*^ 1,023,005 1,034,486 818,276 9,774 47,810 651,301
Colorado
Schaffer (R) 724,070 801,137 310,680 52,036 0 1,160,339
Wolf (R)******************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
Udall (D) 862,097 1,114,920 476,575 186,899 0 3,131,112
Delaware
BIDEN (D)** 1,691,181 1,770,625 2,651,674 36,275 128,210 3,345,741
Georgia
CHAMBLISS (R) 647,307 1,017,931 446,661 353,684 0 3,917,652
Jones (D) 181,266 187,266 75,680 6,000 0 265,988
Cardwell (D) 56,950 56,950 64,338 0 0 35,277
Knight (D) 10,235 38,235 38,754 0 55,200 20,245
Idaho
Risch (R)*****************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
Rammell (R)***************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
LaRocco (D) 94,743 107,453 48,774 12,554 5,575 103,620
Illinois
DURBIN (D) 623,343 892,400 330,445 180,250 0 6,611,344
Sauerberg (R) 65,750 66,570 183,708 0 250,000 170,137
Iowa
HARKIN (D) 775,861 1,028,892 517,376 215,387 0 3,079,993
Latham (R)*^ 49,252 92,501 44,659 39,518 0 412,186
King (R)*^ 34,530 78,446 35,549 43,916 21,820 114,625
Rathje (R)********************Not Available*******************************
Kansas
ROBERTS (R) 171,842 397,708 214,742 179,086 0 2,152,391
Kentucky
MCCONNELL (R) 1,064,778 1,549,182 371,756 419,986 0 6,814,196
Stumbo (D)************Exploratory Phase — No 3rdQ Filing*****************
Louisiana
LANDRIEU (D) 561,307 857,300 307,424 229,337 0 3,357,344
Kennedy (R)^ CoH as of 6/30: 125
Maine
COLLINS (R) 621,022 1,039,412 241,876 366,509 0 3,104,891
Allen (D) 542,053 666,096 267,069 85,829 0 2,112,801
Massachusetts
KERRY (D)** 220,684 2,233,861 3,716,055 68,250 402 9,828,268
O'Reilly (D) 15,575 15,575 7,826 0 33,152 18,231
Beatty (R)************Exploratory Phase — No 3rdQ Filing*****************
Michigan
LEVIN (D) 709,748 871,650 350,182 141,185 0 3,366,489
Raczkowski (R)^ 50,138 50,138 46,422 0 58,344 8,291
Minnesota
COLEMAN (R) 1,253,007 1,707,157 696,881 301,336 0 4,980,467
Franken (D) 1,859,390 1,909,055 1,388,017 21,150 182,000 2,445,787
Ciresi (D) 307,700 311,803 306,432 100 0 607,915
Cohen (D)*********************Not Available*******************************
Franson (D) 100 7,086 6,618 0 0 630
Mississippi
COCHRAN (R) 14,124 46,386 61,372 29,500 0 1,083,772
Montana
BAUCUS (D) 906,484 1,365,013 316,612 415,750 0 5,364,975
Lange (R)*********************Not Available*******************************
Bushman (R)***************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
Nebraska
Bruning (R) 211,854 222,506 82,424 4,150 0 782,414
Flynn (R) 35,421 46,514 32,245 0 10,500 13,680
Johanns (R)***************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
Kerrey (D)^ CoH as of 6/30: 342,086
Kleeb (D)*^ 16,135 17,448 6,842 0 0 78,642
New Hampshire
SUNUNU (R) 522,196 713,212 80,933 178,559 0 2,728,872
Shaheen (D) 93,993 187,888 9,522 93,895 0 178,366
Buckey (D) 31,100 49,100 36,451 0 18,000 27,178
New Jersey
LAUTENBERG (D) 682,045 908,547 179,450 162,000 2,090,000 3,620,175
Estabrook (R)*********Exploratory Phase — No 3rdQ Filing*****************
Pennacchio (R)********Exploratory Phase — No 3rdQ Filing*****************
New Mexico
Wilson (R)* 159,696 247,302 83,838 79,763 0 755,609
Pearce (R)*^ 203,021 255,180 52,040 48,000 0 582,312
Rich'son (D)*^ 5,187,577 5,358,585 6,637,396 71,675 75,222 5,821,588
Wiviott (D) 130,034 130,294 163,634 50 426,968 371,712
Madrid (D)*^ 0 10,776 4,497 0 10,330 2,266
North Carolina
DOLE (R) 827,369 1,118,423 556,060 179,389 72,021 2,302,593
Oklahoma
INHOFE (R) 346,059 549,154 291,263 186,363 0 1,653,439
Rice (D) 304,656 311,103 50,960 6,250 0 260,143
Oregon
SMITH (R) 529,028 829,353 282,633 251,430 188,894 4,039,346
Novick (D) 124,872 125,373 83,788 500 0 218,580
Merkley (D) 247,495 294,345 81,314 46,850 0 211,281
Frohnmayer (I)************Filed candidacy after 9/30/07*******************
Rhode Island
REED (D) 313,422 520,539 111,180 190,366 0 2,771,898
South Carolina
GRAHAM (R) 249,341 472,272 204,822 148,050 0 4,223,909
South Dakota
JOHNSON (D) 257,245 454,222 150,821 153,300 0 2,043,483
Herseth (D)*^ 47,094 117,532 37,659 67,500 0 500,219
Dykstra (R) 81,873 81,873 44,482 0 0 37,391
Kephart (R) 8,700 8,800 8,448 0 0 352
Tennessee
ALEXANDER (R) 401,592 674,562 238,132 260,800 0 1,476,622
McWherter (D)*********Exploratory Phase — No 3rdQ Filing*****************
Texas
CORNYN (R) 1,269,081 1,846,922 512,899 379,300 109,504 6,609,801
Watts (D) 442,676 4,260,168 825,087 0 5,594,668 8,304,414
Noriega (D) 508,172 580,722 69,813 22,550 50,000 510,314
Virginia
Goodlatte (R)*^ 7,195 51,672 54,801 16,650 0 1,382,921
Davis (R)*^ 120,901 222,745 203,300 97,944 0 1,049,450
Cantor (R)*^ 136,078 338,960 269,049 191,750 0 711,622
Forbes (R)*^ 24,329 56,260 65,672 28,800 0 356,968
Goode (R)*^ 30,295 56,109 19,222 22,700 0 351,757
Drake (R)*^ 80,735 197,585 89,872 116,850 0 324,423
Wolf (R)*^ 52,614 80,550 32,273 26,000 0 230,278
Gilmore (R)*^ 1,100 6,101 49,663 0 147,048 18,203
Warner (D) 1,033,481 1,109,081 92,055 71,000 0 1,017,026
West Virginia
ROCKEFELLER (D) 458,685 714,083 201,493 209,112 0 3,183,267
Wyoming “A”
ENZI (R) 7,525 140,678 72,423 114,000 0 458,081
Wyoming “B”
BARRASSO (R) 252,370 653,441 53,111 396,071 0 599,329
^=Potential candidate
*=House or WH account
**=Combined from mult. accounts
Due to the death of Craig Thomas and Republicans are in the minority- Enzi retire- Wyoming loses its seniority clout.