Democrats raise funds at fast pace

Most of the numbers have yet to come in, but it’s already clear that it has been a good quarter to be a Democrat.

In their first three months of fundraising with near-total control of the legislative and executive branches, key Democratic candidates have been raising money like gangbusters.

{mosads}Political action committees and party committees are talking about a potential fundraising slowdown, given the economic climate. But the battle for the upper chamber of Congress is drawing huge amounts of cash, and most of it is going to the Democrats.

So far, seven key Democratic Senate candidates have announced raising more than $1 million in the first quarter, while just one Republican — former Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) — has done so.

The strong numbers for the majority party include unexpectedly big fundraising from Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) and appointed Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who collected $1.5 million and $1.4 million, respectively.

Another appointee, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), turned in one of the strongest quarters in recent years, raising $2.3 million amidst talk of a potential primary challenge.

And that doesn’t even include incumbents running for reelection. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) did their best to scare away any potential challengers, raising $2 million and $1.7 million, respectively.

Among potential Senate candidates, the picture is also good for Democrats.

Rep. Mike Castle (R-Del.), who could instantly make the race for Vice President Biden’s former Senate seat competitive, raised a paltry $70,000 in the first quarter. And Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-N.Y.), who has pledged a potentially damaging primary challenge to Gillibrand, raised just $150,000 — about one-fifteenth Gillibrand’s total.

In Illinois, state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’s (D) $1.1 million haul in the first quarter looks even better when compared to potential opponents Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D) and Peter Roskam (R), who both raised around $200,000. Neither of the House members appears to be gearing up for the Senate race at this point.

On the GOP side in Florida, all signs point to Gov. Charlie Crist (R) getting into the race after the current legislative session, but Rep. Vern Buchanan and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio have both been raising significant money. Rubio announced Tuesday that he amassed $250,000 for his exploratory committee, and a source close to Buchanan says he has already collected $520,000 for 2010.

Buchanan has been more noncommittal about the Senate race and could also put the money toward a gubernatorial run.

The lone GOP bright spot, as of press time Tuesday, was Portman’s $1.7 million haul in Ohio. That goes on top of the $1.4 million he had in his old House account and puts him in good stead against potential Democratic opponents Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher ($1 million raised) and Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner (less than $1 million raised).
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Governors

The Democratic advantage wasn’t limited to Senate races.

{mosads}In the crucial 2009 Virginia governor’s race, three Democrats combined to raise more than $5.5 million in the first quarter, while the lone GOPer, Attorney General Bob McDonnell, raised a very respectable $2.2 million.

The Democrats’ numbers were inflated by former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe’s $4.2 million haul, most of which came from outside the state, but McDonnell’s numbers were pumped up by a $1 million contribution from the Republican Governors Association.

Still, McDonnell holds a wide cash-on-hand advantage, with McAuliffe, former state Del. Brian Moran and state Sen. Creigh Deeds duking it out in a close race for their party’s nomination.

In New Jersey, the other 2009 gubernatorial race, wealthy incumbent Gov. Jon Corzine (D) will vastly outspend likely GOP nominee Chris Christie.
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House

The picture is a little less clear in the lower chamber, where some key freshmen on both sides are off to fast starts.

{mosads}So far, Reps. Betsy Markey (Colo.), Martin Heinrich (N.M.) and Dina Titus (Nev.) lead the way among new Democrats, raising $340,000, $250,000 and $230,000, respectively.

On the GOP side, Rep. Bill Cassidy (La.) has raised $280,000 and Rep. Erik Paulsen (Minn.) has raised $220,000.

Other key Democrats are off to good starts, too, though, with Rep. Zack Space (D-Ohio) raising $420,000, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) raising $250,000 and Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) raising $230,000.

Space’s high total is particularly interesting, given that he has suggested he is interested in pursuing his state’s open Senate race. He might need it for his own race, though, after he was on the receiving end of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) first TV ads of the 2010 general election this week.