3Q House Fundraising Reports Roundup

As promised, our team of researchers over at SSP Labs have culled all of the noteworthy third quarter fundraising numbers for 2010’s hot (and not-so-hot) House races.

Here’s our full chart, but if you happen to catch something that we missed, please let us know in the comments. (2Q numbers are here.)

An asterisk (*) indicates that the amount raised includes a substantial candidate self-donation (as opposed to loans, which we as a rule do not include in the “raised” column). “YG” refers to the NRCC’s Young Guns initiative — the GOP’s version of “Red to Blue”.

Normally I rattle off a list of observations and offer some general number crunching, but I’ll leave that up to you this time. Enjoy.

The 3Q Fundraising Reports and the Bride of Titanman

Serves you right for choosing him over me, Lois!

AK-AL:

     Don Young (R-inc): $117K raised; $129K CoH

CA-03:

     Ami Bera (D): $335K raised; $586K CoH (updated from earlier estimate)

CT-Sen:

     Chris Dodd (D-inc): $900K raised (note: Dodd missed a month due to surgery for prostate cancer)

     Tom Foley (R): $280K raised; >$1m CoH

     Rob Simmons (R): $970K raised; ~$1.1m CoH

FL-24:

     Suzanne Kosmas (D-inc): >$300K raised; >$725K CoH (via email)

IL-Sen:

     Cheryle Jackson (D): $354K raised (in four weeks); $322K CoH

KS-04:

     Raj Goyle (D): $403K raised;

KY-Sen:

     Dan Mongiardo (D): $514K raised; $751K CoH

MO-08:

     Tommy Sowers (D): $205K raised (since Sept. 9)

NC-02:

     Bob Etheridge (D-inc): >$150K raised; >$1m CoH

NC-08:

     Tim D’Annunzio (R): $300K loan

NM-Gov:

     Diane Denish (D): $1m raised; $2.2m CoH

NM-02:

     Steve Pearce (R): $508K raised

NV-Sen:

     Harry Reid (D-inc): >$2m raised; $8.73m CoH

     Danny Tarkanian (R): >$250K raised; $204K CoH

NY-13:

     Michael Allegretti (R): $187K raised; $155K CoH

PA-Sen:

     Arlen Specter (D-inc): $1.82m raised (which included ~$1m from an Obama fundraiser); $8.71m CoH

PA-06:

     Curt Schroder (R): $88K raised; $87K CoH

PA-15:

     John Callahan (D): $345K raised; $325CoH

     Charlie Dent (R-inc): >$230K raised

SC-Gov:

     Gresham Barrett (R): $400K raised; $1.3m CoH

     Andre Bauer (R): $262K raised; ~$825K CoH

     Henry McMaster (R): $1.09m (since Aug.); ~$1m CoH

SC-04:

     Trey Gowdy (R): $125K raised

     Bob Inglis (R-inc): ~$100K raised

     David Thomas (R): ~90K raised

TX-Sen:

     Bill White (D): >$1.5m raised; $4.18 CoH

TX-10:

     Jack McDonald  (D): $298K raised; $805K CoH

WI-07:

     Sean Duffy (R): $140K raised; $120K CoH

The Shocking Secret of the 3Q Fundraising Reports

We’ve cracked open our lead strongbox once again…

AR-Sen:

     Blanche Lincoln (D-inc): $1.2M raised; $4.13M CoH

DE-Sen:

     Mike Castle (R): <$58K raised; $853K CoH

FL-Sen:

     Kendrick Meek (D): $800K raised

LA-Sen:

     Charlie Melancon (D): $750K raised

NV-Sen:

     John Chachas (R): $1.4M raised (“more than” $1M of which came from Chachas’ own pockets)

CA-03:

     Ami Bera (D): >$288K raised

MN-06:

     Taryl Clark (D): $308K raised; $270K CoH

     Maureen Reed (D): $130K raised; >$300K CoH

OH-12:

     Pat Tiberi (R): >$300K raised; >$900K CoH

PA-03:

     Paul Huber (R): $100K raised; $100K CoH

PA-06:

     Steven Welch (R): $500K CoH

SC-02:

     Joe Wilson (R-inc): $2.7M

FL-Gov:

     Bill McCollum (R): $853K raised

SC-02: Wilson raises $2.7 MILLION in Q3??

Joe Wilson’s campaign is reporting he raised $2.7 million in the 3rd quarter from 50,000 contributions.  The FEC website doesn’t have his Q3 report up yet, though.

And after all the buzz online, Rob Miller’s ActBlue page is not even at $1 million (though he obviously raised more than that from non-ActBlue places).

WTF, people?  I’m thinking it’d be really bad form to lie about how much money you raised, so I’ll assume Wilson really did raise $2.7 million in Q3.  Does this mean just about every teabagger donated to him?  Are we underestimating this movement to our peril?

3Q Fundraising Reports & the Shame of the Super-Son

…”And I do mean flop!”

CO-Sen:

     Andrew Romanoff (D): >$200K raised

     Jane Norton (R): $505K raised

FL-Sen:

     Corrine Brown (D): $445K raised

     Charlie Crist (R): $2.4M raised; $6M CoH

IL-Sen:

     Patrick Hughes (R): $380K raised (“majority” self-financed); $340K CoH

NH-Sen:

     Paul Hodes (D): <$600K raised; $1.1M CoH

     Kelly Ayotte (R): $613K raised; $561K CoH

PA-Sen:

     Pat Toomey (R): $1.5M raised

IL-10:

     Julie Hamos (D): $545K raised

     Bob Dold (R): >$250K raised

     Dick Green (R): $70K raised + $225K personal donation; $266K CoH

GA-02:

     Mike Keown (R): $105K raised; $101K CoH

KY-06:

     Andy Barr (R): $185K raised

NY-29:

     Tom Reed (R): $130K raised

OH-16:

     Jim Renacci (R): $202K raised

TN-08:

     John Tanner (D-inc): $55K raised; $1.4M CoH

     Steve Fincher (R): >$300K raised

CO-Gov:

     Bill Ritter (D-inc): $452K raised

     Josh Penry (R): $416K raised

FL-Gov:

     Bill McCollum (R): >$1M raised (but this may include in-kinds)

3Q Fundraising Reports Roundup

Third quarter fundraising tallies are beginning to trickle in. We’ve already reported on a few in the digest (notably, Mark Kirk and Marco Rubio), so let’s round up a few of the numbers we haven’t mentioned yet.

AR-Sen:

     Gilbert Baker (R): $500K raised

IL-Sen:

     David Hoffman (D): $405K raised + $500K personal donation; $851K Cash-on-Hand

     Alexi Giannoulias (D): $1.1M raised; $2.4M CoH

LA-Sen:

     David Vitter (R-inc): $1.2M raised; $3.9M CoH

LA-02:

     Cedric Richmond (D): $115K raised (via email)

MO-07:

     Billy Long (R): ~$100K raised; $400K CoH

MS-01:

     Alan Nunnelee (R): $220K raised

PA-06:

     Doug Pike (D): $123K raised; $750K CoH

     Manan Trivedi (D): $110K raised (in three weeks)

PA-07:

     Bryan Lentz (D): >$250K raised

     Pat Meehan (R): >$200K raised

FL-Gov:

     Alex Sink (D): $1.6M raised; $3.6M CoH

MA-Gov:

     Charles Baker (R): $543K raised

Alan Grayson, 2010 and smart fundraising.

Let me begin by saying that I agree with nearly everything that Congressman Grayson said and agree particularly with his comments that House Republicans are Neanderthals. I agree that someone who stands up and defines the Republican House Caucus for exactly what they are is an incredibly valuable thing. But at the same time I worry about campaign giving which depends almost completely on emotional response and which then leaves the donor nearly powerless over what happens to that money and which does nothing to solve what at this moment is the Democrats current biggest problem when it comes to the 2010. It is also important to look into the facts which surround every race, from the money dumped on Congressman Grayson, or Rob Miller who is challenging Joe Wilson in South Carolina’s second district.

For instance, what percentage of Congressman Grayson’s donors knew that he is a massive self-funder who gave himself more than three million dollars for his 2008 race.  This does not automatically mean he should be forced to self-fund forever, or that he isn’t worthy of donations, but it does raise the question  at least slightly.  

When the money simple rains onto incumbents it distorts the system. It is more than likely that amongst the something like 100 democratic candidates running in either  open seats or challenging incumbent Republicans there is another Alan Grayson, or Carol Shea-Porter , or David Loebsack  who given the nature of the race they are running, are only that 100k, or so away from being for real.

As a first step, might I suggest to Congressman Grayson, that in response to the outpouring he has received his campaign committee goes out and finds ten strong house challengers who are progressive champions  and gives them the maximum allowed by law. This will run him at most half, of what he has raised from the progressive blogosphere and will strengthen his influence far more than simply keeping it for more television ads in his own district. If he announces those ten, we can have a multiplier effect, and truly strengthen our hand. It isn’t perfect, but it is a start.  

While this would be a good start is doesn’t address the bigger problem of how dollars often spent in ways which don’t strengthen the progressive movement or deal with the big problems we face.  One such potential instance is the nearly $ 250,000 being spent  on T.V. ads attacking Max Baucus and Olympia Snowe  on Healthcare and the Public Option, by the Progressive Change  Campaign Committee and Democracy for  America.   Don’t get me wrong I want the Public Option but it seems that either efforts are playing into the very same game that we don’t want to play.  

This  is because I don’t think Olympia Snowe will vote for the kind of bill that we want to see. It seems unlikely that she will be truly willing to be the only Republican willing to break with her entire caucus.  While I would love to be able to put her seat into play  in 2012 the total failure to touch her much more conservative counterpart in 2008, it seems like a pretty remote possibility. The White House in searching for Bipartisanship is focusing on her, but when we play along we raise her importance and that is bad.

The Baucus ads are also somewhat questionable, first of all while not facing the voters again until 2014, it is unlikely these ads will have an impact on his re-election efforts.  In general I take him at his word that he supports a public option  but feels constrained by  needing to get 60 votes in the Senate. While I agree this is a somewhat lame answer, the reality is that for rural red state Democrats, in a 60 plus Democratic Senate, the sixty vote rule is the an important defender of their power, and thereby the power of  their States. This is a complicated internal fight, where I agree the White House in facts holds more cards than does either Baucus or Harkin, as does the Progressive Block in the House. Hoping to improve Baucus’s behavior with T.V. maybe a good idea but might not be.

The major problem with issue ads, is that they quickly disappear, and it is very difficult to pin people down on their support for particular legislative tools.  We know, what we mean, but the broader audience probably doesn’t, as can be seen by the very different answers you can get when asking about the Public Option.

The big structural problem.

Going in 2010 we as progressive face a serious structural problem. It can be described best as a Demographic gap, and it something that gets whispered about but never discussed openly nor is much of a cure sought or hope made in that effort. In 2006, which was a very good Democratic year, the gap persisted.  The 2006  electorate was much older and much whiter than the 2008  electorate. It is because of this and this alone that Republicans are in serious contention for making serious gains in 2010, gains which if made will be difficult to change in 2012, because  of the way the Senate Map exists.  On a national level, in 2006, the electorate was 12% under 30.  In 2008, it was  18%.  In 2006 the electorate  was 10% African American and  in 2008 it was 13% African American.  Given how those groups voted in 2008, that amounts to a nearly four point swing to Republicans in 2010 before anyone even changes their minds.

 In two of the three most endangered  Senate  seats, the problem is even worse.  In Connecticut in 2006% the electorate was 8% African American , in 2008 12%, Latino’s were 5% in 2006, and 8% in 2008,  under 30 was 18% in 2008, and 10% in 2006.  In Nevada in 2006 African Americans were 6%, in 2008 10%, Latino’s  in 2006 12%, in 2008 15% under 30, 2006  12%,  2008, 17%.  With the 2008 Electorate, Dodd and Reid are on much firmer ground, with the 2006 electorate they face much scarier races.  

Conclusion

While obviously a win on healthcare with a public option would be very helpful, and might even have some dent on fixing this Demographic problem, this problem needs to be tackled much more carefully, and obviously the formula of the past, particularly relaying on T.V. Ads[ far and a way still the biggest campaign expense for both production, consultant fee’s and of course the air time itself.] is wrong.  We need to experiment in new and different types of infrastructure to tackle this problem, and between Grayson, Miller and the ads on Baucus and Snowe.  The progressive blogosphere spent nearly a million dollars,[depending how you count Miller even more.]  Without spending a dime on the most pressing problem. A million dollars is a lot of money in politics if it is spent wisely, but when it is simply handed over to campaigns with no future accountability, and in potentially inefficient ways, It is a shame because the problems we face from a policy perspective comes from spending advocacy and campaign dollars inefficiently and worse playing the game of those who rig it so we never win.

End of Quarter Fundraising Push for Democratic Candidates for Senate

{First, a cheap plug for my blog Senate Guru.}

The last day of the third fundraising quarter of 2009 (whoa, time really flies!) is this Wednesday, September 30.  Our Democratic candidates for Senate need to make as big a fundraising splash as possible in the third quarter to help refute the growing conventional wisdom among the traditional media pundits that 2010 could be a Republican year.

Please, please, please consider making a contribution today to our Democratic candidates for Senate via the Expand the Map! ActBlue page.  I’ve set some lofty, pie-in-the-sky goals that, if we were able to meet them, I’d be wonderfully surprised and gratified and blown away by your generosity.

Democrat Currently At
Goal
Distance to Goal
Robin Carnahan
$681
$1,000
$319
Paul Hodes
$780
$1,000
$220
Joe Sestak
$758
$1,000
$242
Charlie Melancon
$193
$400
$207

Please click on over to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page and make a contribution to help stop ongoing Republican obstruction in the Senate.  Every contribution makes a real impact whether it’s $100 or $25 or $10 or, well, any amount.  Want to rebel against multiples of five and contribute $63 or $39 or $27, knock yourself out!

Remember, the fundraising quarter ends this Wednesday, so please contribute today if you can.  Thank you SO much!

August Party Committee Fundraising Roundup

Dolla dolla bill, y’all. Here are the August fundraising numbers for the six major party committees (July numbers are here):



















































Committee August
Receipts
August
Disbursements
Cash-on-Hand Debt
DCCC $3,304,284 $2,767,068 $10,738,064 $4,666,667
NRCC $3,149,809 $2,960,269 $4,200,544 $0
DSCC $2,200,000 $2,500,000 $6,900,000 $2,900,000
NRSC $3,100,000 $2,400,000 $5,100,000 $0
DNC $6,890,860 $7,870,800 $15,344,560 $0
RNC $7,868,793 $8,745,713 $20,970,858 $0

For the second month the NRSC has outraised the DSCC, putting them just a million bucks behind for the year. By way of comparison, we were $3 mil ahead in 2005 and a whopping $16 mil ahead in 2007. But perhaps most disappointing to me is the DNC’s continual lag behind the RNC. This long-standing state of affairs was supposed to change with a Democratic president in the White House, but the GOP’s national committee has outraised ours, $60 mil to $53 mil year-to-date. Again by way of comparison, at this point in 2005, when a Republican lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the GOP was destroying us $76 mil to $38 mil.

July Party Committee Fundraising Roundup

Here are the July fundraising numbers for the six major party committees (June numbers are here):


















































Committee July
Receipts
Spent
(July)
Cash-on-Hand Debt
DCCC $3,200,439 $2,731,428 $10,200,847 $5,333,333
NRCC $3,084,225 $3,233,232 $4,011,003 $2,750,000
DSCC $2,042,206 $2,860,936 $7,150,000 $3,330,000
NRSC $2,758,401 $2,629,713 $4,430,000 $0  
DNC $9,288,128 $5,994,202 $16,324,499 $5,129,061
RNC $6,261,900 $8,108,401 $21,847,778 $0