With control of the US House at stake, Democratic candidates are raising significant money to challenge Southern Republican incumbents or in open districts previously held by the GOP. The Federal Election Committee reports for the 3rd Quarter show that as of Sept. 30, in some districts, Republican incumbents are woefully underfunded, often outpaced by their Democratic challengers. These results suggest that some upsets could occur in the South next year, to the Republicans’ disadvantage.
In Georgia, in the 7th District, US Rep. Rob Woodall (R) had $299,000 cash-on-hand. But at least one of his Democratic opponents is raising enough money, with cash-on hand of $237,000, to give him some trouble.
In Kentucky’s 6th District, Andy Barr (R) has done a good job raising funds, with $1,307,000 on hand. But his main Democratic opponent is doing ok for a challenger at this point, with $552,000 on hand.
In North Carolina, GOP incumbents look especially vulnerable. In the 2nd District, US Rep. George Holding (R) had only $220,000 cash-on-hand, while one of his Democratic foes, aided by a personal loan, had $506,000 and the other, also lending himself money, had $234,000. And in the 9th, US Rep. Robert Pittenger (R) had $264,000 on hand, along with $876,000 in debt, while his Democratic challenger had $700,000. Pittenger also has a Republican opponent who had $187,000 on hand, enough to be a pest in the primary.
In Texas, in the open 2nd District, where US Rep. Ted Poe (R) is not seeking reelection, Democrat Todd Litton had $230,000 on hand, to the GOP’s David Balat’s $91,000. In the 7th District, US Rep. John Culberson (R) had $389,000 on hand, while two of his Democratic foes had $536,000 and $403,000 on hand. In the 23rd, however, US Rep. Will Hurd (R), expected to have a tough reelection battle, had a war chest of $870,000, far ahead of his Democratic challengers. And in the 32nd, US Rep. Pete Sessions (R) has an impressive $1,183,000 on hand, while his leading challenger (D) had $438,000.
In Virginia, in the 5th District, US Rep. Tom Garrett (R) had a meager $85,000 on hand, while his two challengers (D) combined had $725,000. In the 7th District, US Rep. David Brat (R) had a not-too-shabby $405,000 on hand, but his two leading foes (D) had a total of $438,000 on hand. In the 10th, US Rep. Barbara Comstock (R) is in a Democrat-friendly district, but she’s getting prepared, with $987,000 on hand. But her five leading opponents (D) combined have $2,185,000 cash-on-hand.
3rd Quarter Financial Reports
Candidates with less than $10,000 cash-on-hand are not listed.
Incumbents are marked with an asterisk.
Florida Cash-on-hand
- 6th: Ron DeSantis (R)* – $1,682,000
- Nancy Soderberg (D) – $259,000
- 7th: Stephanie Murphy (D)* – $701,000
- Scott Sturgill (R) – $177,000
- 13th: Charlie Crist (D)* – $1,431,000
- 16th: Vern Buchanan (R)* – $2,057,000
- 18th: Brian Mast (R)* – $921,000
- Lauren Baer (D) – $236,000
- Pam Keith (D) – $64,000
- 25th: Mario Diaz-Balart (R)* – $881,000
- 26th: Carlos Curbelo (R)* – $1,352,000
- Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D) – $162,000
- 27th: Open/R
Georgia
- 6th: Karen Handel (R)* – $482,000
- 7th: Rob Woodall (R)* – $299,000
- David Kim (D) – $237,000
- Ethan Pham (D) – $110,000
- Carolyn Bordeaux (D) – $78,000
- Shane Hazel (R) – $16,000
Kentucky
- 6th: Andy Barr (R)* – $1,307,000
- Lt. Col. (Ret.) Amy McGrath (D) – $552,000
- State Sen. Reggie Thomas (D) – $78,000
North Carolina
- 2nd: George Holding (R)* – $220,000
- Distiller Sam Searcy (D) $506,000 ($450,000 loan)
- Entrepreneur Ken Romley (D) – $234,000 ($240,000 loan)
- 9th: Robert Pittenger (R)* – $264,000 ($876,000 debt)
- Solar energy financier Dan McCready (D): $700,000
- Mark Harris (R) – $187,000
- 13th: Ted Budd (R)* – $225,000
- South Carolina
- 5th: Ralph Norman (R)* – $132,000 ($440,000 debt)
- 7th: Tom Rice (R)* – $851,000
- Tennessee
- 6th: Open/R
- Ex-ag comr John Rose (R) – $468,000
- State Rep. Judd Matheny (R) – $104,000
- 7th: Open/R
Texas
- 2nd: Open/R
- Todd Litton (D) – $230,000
- Businessman David Balat (R) – $91,000
- 3rd: Open/R
- State Sen. Van Taylor (R) – $74,000
- 7th: US Rep. John Culberson (R)* – $389,000
- Non-profit executive Alex Triantaphyllis (D) – $536,000
- Lawyer Lizzie Pannill Fletcher (D) – $403,000
- Activist/writer Laura Moser (D) – $272,000
- Dr. James Westin (D) – $167,000
- James Cargas (D) – $10,000
- 21st: Open/R
- Joe Kopser (D) – $219,000
- 23rd: US Rep. Will Hurd (R)* – $870,000
- Ass’t US Atty Jay Hulings (D) – $189,000
- Iraq veteran Gina Ortiz Jones (D) – $74,000
- Ex-USDA official Judy Canales (D) – $10,000
- 32nd: Pete Sessions (R)* $1,183,000
- Ex-state dept official Ed Meier (D) – $438,000
- Ex-USDA official Lillian Salerno (D) – $120,000
- Atty Colin Allred (D) – $87,000
- George Rodriguez (D) – $34,000
Virginia
- 2nd: US Rep. Scott Taylor (R)* – $531,000
- Iraq veteran Dave Belote (D) – $134,000
- Karen Mallard (D) – $11,000
- 5th: Tom Garrett (R)* – $85,000
- Roger Dean Huffstetler (D) – $450,000
- Leslie Cockburn (D) – $275,000
- 7th: David Brat (R)* – $405,000
- Daniel Ward (D) – $228,000
- Abigail Spanberger (D) – $210,000
- Eileen McNeil Bedell (D) – $11,000
- 10th: Barbara Comstock (R)* – $987,000
- Ex-State Dept off’l Alison Friedman (D) – $553,000
- Julien Modica (D) – $548,000
- Dan Helmer (D) – $398,000
- State Sen. Jennifer Wexton (D) – $345,000
- Lindsey Davis Stover (D) – $341,000
- Deep Saran (D) – $150,000
- Shak Hill (R) – $33,000