A handful of House members facing competitive races in each party were outraised by rivals during the fourth quarter of 2023, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission that shed light on the developing campaign landscape.
Democrats need to win a net of five seats to take back the majority, while Republicans are looking to expand their numbers. As a result, each party has several dozen districts where they will focus the most attention.
With a rematch of the 2020 presidential race looking likely, particular interest is focused on Democrats in districts that Donald Trump won in 2020 and Republicans in seats that Joe Biden won.
Here are some takeaways from the latest reports, which cover contributions and spending during the three months ending Dec. 31.
Averages close
Using ratings from Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, Roll Call analyzed FEC filings by 31 Republican and 30 Democratic incumbents in races rated Toss-up or tilting, leaning, or likely to go to one party.
The data shows the average Republican incumbent facing a competitive race began 2024 with more cash on hand than the average Democrat, but the Democrat’s average fundraising during the quarter was higher.
Specifically, battleground Democratic incumbents raised an average $539,000, compared to $532,000 for Republicans. On Dec. 31, the average Democrat had $1.4 million for the coming campaign, while the average Republican had $1.8 million.
All told, the battleground Republicans’ total raised was $16.5 million, and the Democrats’ was $16.2 million.
Top and bottom fundraisers
The averages smooth out some wide differences. The top Democratic fundraiser in a battleground House race was Alaska’s Mary Peltola, one of the GOP’s top targets in a state Trump won by 10 points. She took in $1.1 million and had $1.8 million cash on hand.
Oregon Democrat Val Hoyle, meanwhile, raised the least in the battleground group, with receipts of $205,000.
The top Republicans were Montana’s Ryan Zinke and California’s Michelle Steel, who each raised more than $1 million. Florida’s Anna Paulina Luna had the lowest quarterly receipt total, with $165,000.
Big bankrolls
Nine House Republicans started the year with more than $2 million in their accounts: Pennsylvania’s Brian Fitzpatrick, $3.8 million; Wisconsin’s Bryan Stiel, $3.6 million; California’s Steel, $3 million; California’s Young Kim, $2.5 million; New York’s Mike Lawler, $2.5 million; California’s Ken Calvert, $2.5 million; Michigan’s John James, $2.3 million; Arizona’s Juan Ciscomani, $2.1 million; and New Jersey’s Tom Kean Jr., $2.1 million.
Five Democratic incumbents started the year with more than $2 million: New York’s Pat Ryan, $2.2 million; Washington’s Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, $2.2 million; Washington’s Kim Schrier, 2.2 million; Minnesota’s Angie Craig, $2.2million; and Pennsylvania’s Matt Cartwright, $2 million.
Four Democrats outraised
In Connecticut’s 5th District, Republican George Logan, a former state senator who came about 2,000 votes short of defeating Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes in 2022, outpaced her in fundraising by almost $150,000 in the last quarter. Hayes had about $1 million in her account on Dec. 31, however, while Logan had $371,000.
In Nevada’s 1st District, Republican Flemming Larsen continues to lead incumbent Rep. Dina Titus in fundraising, raising about $480,000 last quarter, including a $200,000 candidate loan. Even without that, Titus would have trailed Larsen.
Rep. Don Davis was outraised by one of two Republican challengers in North Carolina’s 1st District, but Republican Laurie Buckhout gave herself $1 million of the $1.3 million she raised.
In Texas, both Republican challengers in the 34th District outraised Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Former Rep. Mayra Flores raised $973,000 and Mauro Garza brought in $343,000. Gonzalez, however, has more cash on hand — $1.2 million — than either Flores or Garza.
10 Republicans outraised
In Arizona’s 1st District, Rep. David S. Schweikert trailed four potential Democratic challengers in fourth quarter receipts, and two of them, Andrei Cherny and Conor O’Callaghan, had more cash on hand.
In California’s 13th District, Democratic challenger Adam Gray narrowly edged Republican Rep. John Duarte, raising $322,000 to Duarte’s $309,000. But Duarte had $1.4 million in the bank, nearly four times what Gray had on hand.
In California’s 27th District, Democrat George Whitesides brought in $771,000, which includes $260,000 of his own money. Incumbent Garcia reported raising $562,000. Whitesides was also the rare challenger with more cash on hand than his incumbent rival: He had about $2.3 million to Garcia’s $1.8 million.
In a rematch of a 2022 race, Democrat Will Rollins outpaced Republican Rep. Ken Calvert in California’s 41st District. Calvert, the longest-serving Republican House member from the Golden State, concluded the year with slightly more cash in his campaign account than Rollins had.
In Florida’s 13th District, Luna took in $39,000 less than Democrat Whitney Fox, who contributed $5,000 to her campaign.
In Iowa’s 1st District, Democratic challenger Christina Bohannan brought in $189,000 more, but Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks ended the year with $948,000 more cash in her campaign account.
It was a similar story in Iowa’s 3rd District, where Democrat Lanon Baccam outraised Republican Rep. Zach Nunn, though Nunn had $1.1 million more cash on hand.
In New York’s 1st District, Democrat Nancy Goroff, a scientist, raised about $200,000 more than GOP Rep. Nick LaLota. Goroff contributed $6,800 to her campaign and finished with $530,000 to LaLota’s $1.3 million.
In New York’s 17th District, Lawler was outraised by former Rep. Mondaire Jones for the second straight quarter, but Lawler still held $920,000 more cash on hand.
In New York’s 19th District, Rep. Marc Molinaro was also outraised for a third straight quarter by Josh Riley, a Democrat he defeated in 2022. Molinaro finished the year with $1.6 million to Riley’s $1.5 million.
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