EMILY's List
FEC Filings: Republican woes not discouraging donors
By Jonathan Parker on 07/16/2009 @ 04:55 PM
This week marks a critical time for campaigns, as they get up and running for next year’s elections. On July 15th, campaigns are required by the FEC and many state elections boards to make public their fundraising totals though June 30th. These numbers give those of us who follow this stuff closely a good sense of candidates’ early strength -- candidates we are already supporting, candidates we might support and all of their filed opponents. While the national headlines would seem to suggest a leaderless GOP in disarray, some of the numbers I’ve seen this week show Republican donors pumped and primed to do what it takes to hold and gain key seats in 2010.
Examples include some of the hottest races around the country:
In Missouri, EMILY’s List candidate Robin Carnahan, running in Missouri’s open Senate race, raised an impressive amount -- over $1 million for the second quarter in a row. But her likely opponent Rep. Roy Blunt, who wasn’t even guaranteed a clear primary field, raised more than $1 million as well. So much for disaffected Republicans. This one will be competitive the whole way.
In Florida, where EMILY’s List candidate and state Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink is running for governor, fundraising totals were also close. Sink raised nearly $1.3 million, a very impressive showing. Her likely opponent, state Attorney General and former Republican Congressman Bill McCollum, cashed in at more than $1 million, keeping pace with Sink’s fundraising. Expect a real barnburner in trying to elect the first woman governor of Florida.
I’m not ready to sound alarm bells yet, but these numbers bear watching. They tell me that the problems the Republicans are having at the national level aren’t having as much of an effect on individual Republican candidates’ ability to raise money in key races. If anyone was expecting that our candidates would get a pass this cycle (something that I’ve actually heard in some circles), they should take a look at these numbers and others, which suggest we’re going to need to work hard to hold and expand seats in Congress and in the states despite what some of the headlines might say. It's also a clear indication that keeping Democratic donors motivated is as important as ever.
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