FEC reports give clearer picture of federal races

Candidates for federal races had to file second-quarter fundraising reports by Sunday, and the money game in New Mexico’s races became clearer with their public release.

Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., who has drawn three lesser-known opponents but no prominent Democratic challenger thus far, raised $650,000 from April to June, the Albuquerque Tribune reported. His report isn’t yet posted on the Federal Election Commission Web site. The senator has $1 million in the bank.

U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., raised $393,000 during the quarter. According to the Tribune, 93 percent of Wilson’s 1,040 donors are from New Mexico. She has $592,000 in cash on hand after reporting expenditures of more than $73,000.

Wilson’s only Democratic opponent who entered the race early enough to have to file a second-quarter report, Albuquerque City Councilor Martin Heinrich, raised $181,000 from 700 donors, with 71 percent living in the First Congressional District. Heinrich reported having expenses of about $28,000, and he has almost $153,000 on hand.

Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., who doesn’t currently have an announced opponent, reported raising $1,500 and spending just over $10,000. He had a healthy $716,000 in on-hand cash at the end of the reporting period.

As I’ve previously reported, U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce, R-N.M., raised $245,000 during the quarter, spent $60,000 and ended the quarter with $383,000 on hand. Democratic challenger Bill McCamley raised $140,000, spent about $6,000, and has just over $133,000 on hand.

Democratic challenger Al Kissling filed an amended report with the FEC late Friday indicating that he raised $10,445, spent about $6,600 and has $5,584 on hand so, as far as I can tell, those are the most accurate number from Kissling’s campaign. His original report, filed Thursday, indicated that he spent $79,686 and had a negative cash balance of more than $67,000, but he told me Friday, before the amended report was filed, that there was an error and that he actually had about $8,000 in cash on hand.

A reported payment to the New Mexico Department of Labor for $73,098 that appeared on his original report is not on the amended report.

Two other challengers to Wilson and one other challenger to Pearce didn’t enter the races early enough to have to file second-quarter reports.

Heinrich raised 46 percent of what Wilson raised during the reporting period. McCamley raised about 57 percent of what Pearce raised. Heinrich spent about 38 percent of what Wilson spent, while McCamley spent about 10 percent of what Pearce spent. Heinrich has about 26 percent of the on-hand cash of Wilson, while McCamley has about 35 percent of the on-hand cash of Pearce.

It appears that, financially, McCamley is currently in better shape than Heinrich. However, Heinrich had more and smaller contributions, so his grassroots support appears to be stronger at this early date in the race.

Where Richardson stands

As previously reported, Gov. Bill Richardson raised about $7 million for his presidential campaign. His report indicates that he has raised more than $13 million since entering the race on Jan. 21, and he has $7.1 million in cash on hand. Virtually all of Richardson’s cash is for the primary because he’s not actively raising money for the general election at this point.

Barack Obama, at the end of the second quarter, had $34 million available for the primary. Hillary Clinton had $33 million, and John Edwards had $12 million.

Richardson’s donors during the second quarter of 2007 included the mayors of Omaha, Neb. and Salt Lake City, Utah, the first lady of Tennessee, a former Tennessee governor and former representatives from Maryland and California. Also contributing were directors Stephen Spielberg, James Brooks and William Friedkin; actors Edward James Olmos, Kate Capshaw, Paul Newman, Jason Alexander, Bette Midler and Whoopi Goldberg; model Christie Brinkley; and Shirley Lansing, Friedkin’s wife and the former CEO of Paramount.

As reported today in the Albuquerque Tribune, Richardson is receiving more support from his home state than any other ex-governor in the presidential race. There are no other current governors running for president.

Forty-five percent of Richardson’s contributors during the first three months of 2007 were from New Mexico. During the second quarter, 25 percent were from New Mexico, indicating that he broadened his base but is still largely dependent on his small home state.

New Mexicans contributed $1.3 million to Richardson during the second quarter. He has, this year, received contributions from 3,527 New Mexicans.