Legal Commentary

Local Democrats Winning the Funds Race

By Professor University of Miami School of Law

Joe Garcia isn’t the only local Democrat who had a good fundraising quarter.

And Mario Diaz-Balart isn’t the only local Republican who had a very bad quarter. It’s striking just how poorly the incumbents’ fundraising is going. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen retains a huge advantage from the $1.8 million she had stockpiled before the campaign began — but it’s amazing how her funding seems to be drying up. The others also have a serious cash cushion. But the gap is shrinking…

As the Herald puts it, Miami GOP congressional incumbents outraised again.

District 18
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - R
Net Contributions for the quarter: $281,087
Net Contributions for election cycle: $1,119,122
Cash on hand: $1,893,392

Annette Taddeo - D
Net Contributions for the quarter: $324,829*
Net Contributions for election cycle: $289,286
Cash on hand*: $457,105
*Ms. Taddeo has loaned her campaign $350,000 to date, including $170,000 this quarter.

District 21
Lincoln Diaz-Balart - R
Net Contributions for the quarter: $324,215
Net Contributions for election cycle: $1,158,451
Cash on hand: $1,755,490

Raul Martinez - D
Net Contributions for the quarter: $600,529
Net Contributions for election cycle: $1,217,195
Cash on hand: $1,079,068

District 25
Mario Diaz-Balart - R
Net Contributions for the quarter: $234,320
Net Contributions for election cycle: $746,985
Cash on hand: $1,044,586

Joe Garcia - D
Net Contributions for the quarter: $492,749
Net Contributions for election cycle: $824,196
Cash on hand: $700,983

I predict Taddeo’s next quarter will be substantially better than this one, as her name recognition in the district grows, and as she continues to rack up national endorsements.

Full post as published by Discourse.net on July 16, 2008 (boomark / email).