Dem challengers strong in third quarter House reports

The final quarterly reports before the 2008 election show many challengers besting their incumbent opponents and Republicans in trouble.
 
Democratic challengers outraised GOP incumbents in about two dozen competitive districts in more than 10 states.
 
{mosads}Republican Reps. Don Young (Alaska), Bill Sali (Idaho), Jon Porter (Nev.) and Dave Reichert (Wash.) were all outraised by hundreds of thousands of dollars. All are running in races considered toss-ups by political observers.
 
Young was again soundly outraised by former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz (D), who raised nearly three times as much as Young’s $220,000. Berkowitz pulled in $600,000 and also leads in cash on hand.
 
Sali, whose starkly conservative Idaho district is imperiled by a well-funded Democratic challenger, was outraised by a similar margin. Former Senate candidate Walt Minnick (D) raised $440,000 to Sali’s $230,000.
 
Minnick also self-funded $550,000 and outspent Sali, $1.2 million to $270,000, for the quarter.
 
Porter was topped $720,000 to $480,000 by former gubernatorial candidate Dina Titus (D), who got a late start this cycle but is a top Democratic hope.
 
Reichert also fell victim to a huge quarter by his repeat challenger, Democrat Darcy Burner. Burner raised an unparalleled $1.2 million for the quarter, more than doubling Reichert’s $550,000.
 
Other vulnerable or potentially vulnerable GOP incumbents who were outraised included: David Dreier (Calif.), Brian Bilbray (Calif.), Marilyn Musgrave (Colo.), Christopher Shays (Conn.), Vern Buchanan (Fla.), brothers Lincoln and Mario Diaz-Balart (Fla.), Tom Latham (Iowa), Tim Walberg (Mich.), Joe Knollenberg (Mich.), Sam Graves (Mo.), Patrick McHenry (N.C.), Dean Heller (Nev.), Randy Kuhl (N.Y.), Jean Schmidt (Ohio), Henry Brown (S.C.), John Culberson (Texas) and Frank Wolf (Va.).
 
{mospagebreak}The signs weren’t all bad for the GOP, though.
 
Kansas state treasurer Lynn Jenkins’s (R) $640,000 raised more than doubled freshman Rep. Nancy Boyda’s (D) take and evened the playing field after Jenkins won a tough and expensive primary.
 
In Alabama’s open 2nd district, Montgomery Mayor Bobby Bright (D) had more debt than cash on hand, banking $66,000 and owing $74,000 to three different vendors. Republican state Rep. Jay Love, meanwhile, outraised Bright by more than $250,000 and had $310,000 on hand.
 
{mosads}In another open seat, state Sen. Tom McClintock (R) outraised Democrat Charlie Brown, $980,000 to $550,000, in retiring Rep. John Doolittle’s (R-Calif.) district.
 
Ohio state Sen. Steve Stivers (R) also outraised his Democratic opponent, Mary Jo Kilroy, $660,000 to $490,000, pulling even in cash on hand at $570,000 for retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce’s (R) seat.
 
The news was far better for Democrats in other open seats, though.
 
In retiring Rep. Rick Renzi’s vast northern Arizona district, state Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) has now outraised Republican Sydney Hay $1.5 million to $360,000 and appears a strong bet to join Congress.
 
In another GOP district that is leaning towards Democrats, Illinois state Sen. Debbie Halvorson outraised GOPer Marty Ozinga $580,000 to $310,000 in retiring Rep. Jerry Weller’s (R) district.
 
Also, Missouri state Rep. Judy Baker (D) doubled up Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer, $660,000 to $280,000, in gubernatorial candidate Kenny Hulshof’s (R) district.
 
GOP candidates who are running after losing special elections looked listless in the third quarter.
 
Mississippi special election loser Greg Davis spent just $14,000 in the third quarter, raising $140,000 and banking $180,000.
 
Davis raised far more than Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) in the special election, but he was outraised by $230,000 in the third quarter.
 
Similarly, Illinois Republican Jim Oberweis raised just $88,000 in the third quarter. He self-funded $225,000, but still trailed Rep. Bill Foster’s (D) $620,000 in total receipts.
 
Other sulf-funders plugged big money into their campaigns.
 
Former New York Secretary of State Sandy Treadwell (R) contributed $2.5 million to his own campaign and spent more than $3 million in the last three months against freshman Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D).
 
Rep. Ric Keller’s (R) Democratic challenger, Alan Grayson, spent more than $1.1 million of his own money in the third quarter and burned $1.2 million overall.
 
Also in Florida, Buchanan loaned his campaign another $400,000 and spent nearly $2 million in the third quarter. He has now spent half a million dollars of his own money on his reelection campaign – a rare thing for an incumbent.
 
Candidates are no longer required to report self-contributions instantaneously after the Supreme Court overturned the Millionaire’s Amendment earlier this year. The amendment allowed opponents of self-funders to have higher per-donor limits.