While U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., has almost $200,000 in the bank for his 2008 re-election campaign, Democratic challenger Al Kissling still hasn’t paid of debt from his 2006 campaign.
Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, the other Democrat who has entered the race, didn’t begin raising money until the first week of April and didn’t have to file a report for the first quarter of the year.
In a document filed Sunday, Kissling reported raising $1,262.43 during the first three months of 2007. Pearce raised almost ten times that amount during the first quarter. During that same period, Kissling reported expenses of $3,344.97.
At the end of the reporting period, Kissling reported having $1,672.82 on hand, but also has a debt of $8,200. That’s from loans Kissling has made to his campaign.
Kissling held an event in December in an attempt to pay off about $35,000 in debt from his 2006 campaign against Pearce, but apparently hasn’t reached that goal yet. Kissling spent a tenth of what Pearce did last year and lost by 20 points.
McCamley didn’t want to comment on how much money he has raised this month. His second-quarter numbers will be disclosed, along with those of Pearce and Kissling, in reports that will be filed in mid-July.