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| © Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Democratic Rep. Josh Harder during a 2018 campaign appearance in Hughson (Stanislaus County). |
By John Wildermuth, San Francisco Chronicle
California Democrats are building a wall of money to defend the congressional seats they took from Republicans in 2018, new Federal Election Commission financial reports show.
With the March primary behind them, all six of those first-term Democrats have at least $1 million in the bank for the fall campaign, with three of them crossing the $2 million mark. Matching that cash becomes an immediate challenge for Republicans looking to reclaim those seats.
But fundraising isn’t everything in the campaigns, said Torunn Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Campaign Committee.
“No amount of money will cover up these Democrats’ records,” she said in a statement.
The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t made it easier for challengers to raise the money they need, especially after a number of the Republicans faced competitive — and expensive — primaries.
In the Central Valley, Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock (Stanislaus County), took in $789,093 in the quarter that ended March 31, leaving him with $3.5 million in campaign cash. His Republican opponent, veterinarian Ted Howze, raised $71,147 in the first quarter, leaving him with $100,575 in the bank.
Campaign officials said Howze canceled several fundraisers planned for March and early April and moved some of his focus to community service work because of the disruption caused by the virus.
“It’s an incredibly different environment,” said Tim Rosales, lead strategist for Howze. “Anything scheduled after the primary has been pushed out, and now we’re trying to connect with voters in other ways.”
That pivot may have come at a cost beyond the cash. Howze was not among the four California candidates named in the opening round of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s “Young Guns” program, which plans to boost the challengers who look to have the best chance to grab Democratic seats.
Two Orange County candidates who weren’t on that GOP list also face huge money gaps.
Brian Maryott, a San Juan Capistrano city councilman, is challenging Democratic Rep. Mike Levin in a district that bridges San Diego and Orange counties. But Levin has $1.4 million in the bank, compared with $77,033 for Maryott.
The numbers are even worse for Greg Raths, a Mission Viejo councilman. Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine already has raised $4.5 million for her re-election effort, far more than Raths’ $111,969.
It’s much closer in the Central Valley rematch between former GOP Rep. David Valadao and Democratic Rep. TJ Cox of Fresno, who took Valadao’s seat in 2018. The GOP challenger has $1.2 million in campaign cash, only about $1,700 more than Cox.
Two other Orange County contests are likely to be free-spending affairs. Rep. Harley Rouda, D-Laguna Beach, has $2.4 million for the fall campaign, while Republican Michelle Steel, an Orange County supervisor, has $1.1 million.
In another rematch of a 2018 race, Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros has $1.1 million cash on hand, compared with $970,420 for Republican Young Kim of Fullerton.
One of the most hotly contested California races is for a Los Angeles-area seat left open by last year’s resignation of Democratic Rep. Katie Hill. While Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) finished on top in the primary, GOP businessman Mike Garcia is leading the money race with $446,742 in the bank, to $357,256 for Smith.
In San Francisco, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing a challenge from the left in an all-Democrats battle against progressive attorney Shahid Buttar. Pelosi was a runaway winner in the primary and has an overwhelming advantage in fundraising. Her $3.5 million in the bank dwarfs Buttar’s $85,302 in campaign cash.
See more at San Francisco Chronicle
California Democrats are building a wall of money to defend the congressional seats they took from Republicans in 2018, new Federal Election Commission financial reports show.
With the March primary behind them, all six of those first-term Democrats have at least $1 million in the bank for the fall campaign, with three of them crossing the $2 million mark. Matching that cash becomes an immediate challenge for Republicans looking to reclaim those seats.
But fundraising isn’t everything in the campaigns, said Torunn Sinclair, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Campaign Committee.
“No amount of money will cover up these Democrats’ records,” she said in a statement.
The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t made it easier for challengers to raise the money they need, especially after a number of the Republicans faced competitive — and expensive — primaries.
In the Central Valley, Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock (Stanislaus County), took in $789,093 in the quarter that ended March 31, leaving him with $3.5 million in campaign cash. His Republican opponent, veterinarian Ted Howze, raised $71,147 in the first quarter, leaving him with $100,575 in the bank.
Campaign officials said Howze canceled several fundraisers planned for March and early April and moved some of his focus to community service work because of the disruption caused by the virus.
“It’s an incredibly different environment,” said Tim Rosales, lead strategist for Howze. “Anything scheduled after the primary has been pushed out, and now we’re trying to connect with voters in other ways.”
That pivot may have come at a cost beyond the cash. Howze was not among the four California candidates named in the opening round of the National Republican Campaign Committee’s “Young Guns” program, which plans to boost the challengers who look to have the best chance to grab Democratic seats.
Two Orange County candidates who weren’t on that GOP list also face huge money gaps.
Brian Maryott, a San Juan Capistrano city councilman, is challenging Democratic Rep. Mike Levin in a district that bridges San Diego and Orange counties. But Levin has $1.4 million in the bank, compared with $77,033 for Maryott.
The numbers are even worse for Greg Raths, a Mission Viejo councilman. Democratic Rep. Katie Porter of Irvine already has raised $4.5 million for her re-election effort, far more than Raths’ $111,969.
It’s much closer in the Central Valley rematch between former GOP Rep. David Valadao and Democratic Rep. TJ Cox of Fresno, who took Valadao’s seat in 2018. The GOP challenger has $1.2 million in campaign cash, only about $1,700 more than Cox.
Two other Orange County contests are likely to be free-spending affairs. Rep. Harley Rouda, D-Laguna Beach, has $2.4 million for the fall campaign, while Republican Michelle Steel, an Orange County supervisor, has $1.1 million.
In another rematch of a 2018 race, Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros has $1.1 million cash on hand, compared with $970,420 for Republican Young Kim of Fullerton.
One of the most hotly contested California races is for a Los Angeles-area seat left open by last year’s resignation of Democratic Rep. Katie Hill. While Assemblywoman Christy Smith, D-Santa Clarita (Los Angeles County) finished on top in the primary, GOP businessman Mike Garcia is leading the money race with $446,742 in the bank, to $357,256 for Smith.
In San Francisco, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is facing a challenge from the left in an all-Democrats battle against progressive attorney Shahid Buttar. Pelosi was a runaway winner in the primary and has an overwhelming advantage in fundraising. Her $3.5 million in the bank dwarfs Buttar’s $85,302 in campaign cash.
See more at San Francisco Chronicle
