Steve Pearce, left, and Harry Teague (Photos by Heath Haussamen)
Republican 2nd Congressional District candidate Steve Pearce outraised Democratic incumbent Harry Teague once again in the fourth quarter of 2009, but Teague still leads in overall fundraising during the election cycle.
That’s according to fourth-quarter fundraising reports that have been filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Pearce raised $252,463 and spent $142,368.43 during the reporting period, according to his report. He ended 2009 with $569,607.37, and has raised $760,308.06 overall for his bid to unseat Teague.
During the fourth quarter, $45,750 of the money he raised came from political action committees.
Teague raised $157,119.81 during the reporting period – with $76,400 of it coming from PACs – plus he had another $29,800 transferred to his campaign account from other authorized committees, so his total receipts added up to $188,511.27. He spent $57,660.80, according to his report. To date in the election cycle, he’s raised $1.077 million, and he ended 2009 with $885,635.91 on hand.
Pearce raised about twice as much as Teague during the third quarter of 2009 – Pearce’s first fundraising quarter in the race.
1st District race
Meanwhile, in the 1st Congressional District race, Democrat Martin Heinrich raised $234,372.63 – with $114,650 coming from PACs – plus he had another $33,000 transferred to his campaign from other authorized committees, so his total receipts added up to $285,220.28. He spent $80,454.83 during the reporting period, according to his report.
To date in the election cycle, Heinrich has raised $1.084 million, and he ended 2009 with $834,633.23 on hand.
Jon Barela, the Republican seeking to unseat Heinrich, raised $ 113,070 – with $3,500 coming from PACs – and spent $39,634.59, according to his report. To date in the election cycle, he’s raised $293,909.77, and he ended 2009 with 215185.70 on hand.
3rd District race
In the 3rd Congressional District race, Democrat Ben Ray Luján raised $112,073.84 – with $53,500 coming from PACs – plus he had another $16,000 transferred to his campaign account from other authorized committees, so his total receipts added up to $128,073.84. He spent $39,403.28 during the reporting period, according to his report.
To date in the election cycle, he’s raised $532,073.17, and he ended 2009 with $284,852.61 on hand.
One of two Republicans vying for the right to take on Luján in November, Adam Kokesh, raised $38,303.84 – with $1,000 coming from PACs – and spent $64,939.10, according to his report. To date in the election cycle, he’s raised $142,311.72, and he ended 2009 with $4,863.13 on hand.
That low cash balance could be a sign that the Kokesh campaign is in trouble, and the campaign added fuel to the uncertainty over the weekend.
“We have an amazing volunteer base, but our funds aren’t increasing quickly enough to support them,” Mark Johnson, Kokesh’s fundraising coordinator, wrote in an e-mail to supporters.
Kokesh has a big fundraising day planned Monday to coincide with his birthday, and he tweeted this evening that Monday is “a big day. Could be make it or break it.”
Meanwhile, the other Republican vying for the right to take on Luján, Tom Mullins, hasn’t yet filed his finance report.