Democrats vying for highly competitive seats in Congress raised eye-popping sums this spring as they gear up for some of the most closely watched House races in the general election.
Janelle Bynum, a first-time congressional candidate trying to oust first-term Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in Oregon’s 5th Congressional District raised a whopping $1.3 million in May and June to Chavez-DeRemer’s nearly $740,000. Still, Chavez-DeRemer’s total haul for her reelection bid is far higher and her cash on hand eclipses the Democrat newcomer’s by $1.3 million.
In southwest Washington, first-term Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez pulled in more than $2.2 million over the last three months, far outraising her Republican opponents in the race. She held over $4 million in her war chest last month. The House Victory Project, a group formed to help Democrats take control of the House of Representatives, contributed more than $500,000 to Gluesenkamp Perez in April.
Republican challenger Joe Kent, seeking a rematch after Gluesenkamp Perez edged him for the win in 2022, raised about $308,000 this quarter, most of which came via transfer from an affiliated fundraising political action committee called Joe Kent for Congress. He had about $880,000 cash on hand for the race at the end of June and had been bolstered by some $444,000 in outside spending by the conservative Protect Freedom PAC. Republican challenger Leslie Lewallen raised nearly $230,000 and had about $240,000 cash on hand.
The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics ranks both races as a “toss-up.” Whether the incumbents can hold onto their seats, or if they turn over control of the district to the opposing party, is a matter of national interest as Democrats try to regain control of the House of Representatives this fall.
Bynum touted her big fundraising in a news release last week, saying it l was a “powerful demonstration of support and momentum.”
“This latest fundraising haul is more than just numbers, they represent the trust and hope that voters have placed in Janelle’s vision for Oregon’s future,” campaign manager Blakely Wall wrote in the release.
Chavez-DeRemer spokesperson Aaron Britt noted that the incumbent’s war chest is more than twice the size of Bynum’s. She is in an “undeniably solid position for another victory,” Britt said Tuesday.
“The congresswoman had her strongest quarter of the cycle so far, demonstrating that her track record of delivering bipartisan results for the 5th District is resonating with Oregonians,” Britt wrote in a statement.
In Oregon’s 6th Congressional District, first-term incumbent Andrea Salinas has a wide lead in fundraising over Republican challenger Mike Erickson. However, the Tigard small business owner has self-funded his last three bids for Congress, loaning nearly $3 million to his campaign in 2022 alone. To date, Erickson’s outside raising in the race is about $290,000, more than half of which he received in May and June alone. He’s loaned his own campaign just over $31,000 so far and had about $230,000 cash on hand last month. Salinas raised about $660,000 in May and June and more than $3 million in the race so far. She has more than $2 million on hand.
Maxine Dexter, a Portland doctor who raked in millions in outside spending and nearly $1 million in campaign donations in a fiery Portland area primary for the Democratic nomination in Oregon’s 3rd Congressional District, has now raised more than $1.4 million after a $560,000 fundraising haul in May and June . Her Republican challenger, attorney Joanna Harbour, has raised just $17,000 in the race so far, federal filings show. Despite the enormous fundraising gap, Dexter has spent $1.4 million on her campaign, leaving just $62,000 on hand as of the end of June. Harbour has about $12,000 on hand.
And in the Eugene area, incumbent Democrat Val Hoyle is handily outraising Republican challenger Monique DeSpain in the race for Oregon’s 4th Congressional District. Hoyle raised about $316,000 in the past two months and $1.6 million in the race so far. She has over $850,000 on hand to DeSpain’s $192,000. DeSpain has raised roughly $500,000 in the race so far, $230,000 of that since the start of May.
Marie Gluesenkamp Perez’s total contribution amount has been updated to reflect an additional $600,000 in transfers from political committees and to reflect that Washington donations included the month of April.
Sami Edge covers politics for The Oregonian. You can reach her at (503) 260-3430 or sedge@oregonian.com
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