Democratic candidates running for Madison’s 2nd congressional seat unveiled first quarter fundraising Monday, with state Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, leading the pack with more than $200,000 in donations.
In reports filed to the Federal Election Commission, Pocan raised $209,377 between January and March of this year. Pocan’s report also showed he had more cash on hand than any other candidate, with more than $345,000 in the bank.
A statement from Pocan’s campaign emphasized more than 80 percent of the donations received this quarter came in increments of $100 or less and more than 97 percent of donors from the quarter were individuals.
“It’s very gratifying to have so much support from people wanting to help out the campaign,” Pocan spokesperson Dan McNally said. “It’s important to have a proven fighter for progressive values.”
Dane County Treasurer Dave Worzala reported the second highest fundraising with $135,207, but $100,000 of that came from the candidate himself. Worzola has nearly as much cash on hand as Pocan, with more than $341,000 in the bank.
Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, came in third, reporting more than $114,000 in donations and more than $172,000 cash on hand.
Rick Coelho, Roys’ spokesperson, said the campaign was proud of its fundraising growth and was confident Roys was the progressive candidate Wisconsin voters wanted to send to Washington.
Despite coming in third for fundraising, Roys came in first for campaign spending in the quarter, outspending Pocan by $3,000 and Worzala by $25,000.
Coelho said Roys’ spending so far has gone toward salaries, office rent and other strategic investments.
Like Pocan, Coelho said Roys also focused on her grassroots efforts, with 98 percent of the funds raised coming from more than 675 supporters of the campaign.
“We are incredibly excited by three quarters of consecutive fundraising growth,” Coelho said. “It’s not about who has the most money, but who most effectively uses those resources to reach the voters. We’re on track to do that.”
Of the reports filed, local lawyer and Iraq war veteran Matt Silverman came in last place, raising $8,320, with a additional $10,397 cash on hand.
UW political science professor Dennis Dressang he did not have any predictions for who would win the election in November. He said the election is still far away and a lot can happen in that time, despite what current fundraising figures might show.
The candidates are running for the seat of U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison, who is currently running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Jerilyn Goodman, a spokesperson for Baldwin’s campaign, said Baldwin would not be endorsing any of the Democrats in the primary but will support the winner in the general election.
Better Butler co-founder Chad Lee is the only registered Republican candidate to challenge the Democrats for Baldwin’s seat. According to his website, Lee lost to Baldwin in 2010 in the race for the seat she currently holds.
According to the FEC’s website, the state’s general primary for all political parties is Aug. 14. In the primary, both Republican and Democratic voters will choose the candidates who will receive each party’s nomination. The winner of each primary will then go on to the general election Nov. 6.