Live Updates

Jul 18, 2008

AP - Dems hold big money lead in NJ congressional races

When it comes to raising campaign cash in New Jersey, Republicans are no match for Democrats.

Recently released campaign finance reports show Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives continue to far outpace their Republican rivals in the most competitive races.

The second quarter reports, which document fundraising activity through June 30, show incumbent Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg with a 3-to-1 fundraising edge over his Republican rival, former U.S. Rep. Dick Zimmer.

Democratic state Sen. John Adler, who is campaigning for an open congressional seat in the 3rd District, has 10 times the cash on hand as that of rival Chris Myers. And, in the 7th District, Democrat Linda Stender has a $1.1 million advantage over Republican state Sen. Leonard Lance for New Jersey's other open congressional seat.

"Our fundraising strength is a direct reflection of our political strength," said Democratic State Committee spokesman Richard McGrath. "The Republican brand name has become toxic in the eyes of voters who can't wait to bring the Bush era to an end."

Second-quarter filings with the Federal Election Commission show Lautenberg with $1.29 million cash on hand at the end of June, compared with $411,000 for Zimmer.

The filings also show the Democratic U.S. House candidates maintaining large money leads in the two districts where retiring Republican congressmen are presenting the chance for Democrats to widen their 7-6 lead in New Jersey's congressional delegation.

In the 3rd District in southern New Jersey, where Rep. Jim Saxton is retiring after nearly 24 years, Adler had nearly $1.5 million cash on hand as of June 30, versus $155,407 for his Republican rival Chris Myers, a Lockheed Martin Corp. executive and township councilman in Medford.

Farther north, Stender is already airing television ads as she seeks to win in the 7th District, where she nearly defeated Rep. Mike Ferguson two years ago. With Ferguson not seeking re-election, Republicans picked Lance, a respected legislative leader whose family has been in the district since Colonial times.

Stender had $1.2 million cash on hand, while Lance only had $80,793 after a tough primary fight. Stender is also among 31 congressional candidates across the country benefiting from a recent $35 million Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee television buy.

Even some Republican incumbents aren't comfortably ahead of Democratic challengers. In the 5th District in the far north of New Jersey, GOP Rep. Scott Garrett had $649,003 on hand. But his Democratic challenger, Dennis Shulman, a psychologist and rabbi, had $258,381.