Wealthy Republican Candidates Seek House

Roll Call ^ | October 25, 2013 | Abby Livingston

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Talk about expensive real estate: A House seat can easily cost millions.

Every cycle, a few wealthy candidates dig into their deep pockets to fund their own campaigns. This cycle is on track to be no different — except that Republicans dominate the ranks of potentially self-funding congressional candidates.

Democrats constituted some of the richest candidates of 2012, including Reps. John Delaney of Maryland, Suzan DelBene of Washington and Scott Peters of California. All three made Roll Call’s 50 Richest list this year.

But in 2014, Republicans boast far more self-funders among their recruits — at least nine so far. In alphabetical order, here are the candidates most likely to financially fuel their own campaigns this cycle:

Businessman Rick Allen, Republican

Allen is challenging Democratic Rep. John Barrow in Georgia’s elusive 12th District. But first he faces a potentially competitive primary in his second attempt for the seat.

So far this cycle, the construction company owner has loaned his campaign $10,000. That’s small change compared to 2012, when Allen put in $640,000 from his own pocketbook (via loans and contributions). He lost the primary to a state lawmaker.

Republicans have — again — named Barrow as a top target in 2014. Allen’s financial largess makes him a GOP favorite to defeat Barrow.

Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call Race Rating: Leans Democratic

Attorney George Demos, Republican

Demos is running in a competitive GOP primary to challenge Democratic Rep. Timothy H. Bishop in New York’s 1st District. When Demos ran for the House in 2012, he raised and spent around $350,000, according to PoliticalMoney Line.

Demos acquired his wealth fairly recently. Since his last campaign, he married the daughter of Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, a major Democratic donor and chairman of AKT Development Corporation, a real estate firm.

Demos has already loaned his campaign $1 million this cycle.

Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call Race Rating: Leans Democratic

Former state Rep. Carl Domino, Republican

Domino is challenging freshman Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy in Florida’s 18th District. The successful investment manager is running in a top district for Republicans in 2014.

Last cycle, candidates and campaigns spent nearly $30 million on the seat. Murphy already has $1.4 million in cash on hand.

So far, Domini has loaned his campaign $125,000. But there’s more where that came from: He put $1.3 million of his own cash into four winning and three losing campaigns for local office, according to the The Palm Beach Post.

Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call Race Rating: Tilts Democratic

Autism activist Elizabeth Emken, Republican

Emken’s bid to unseat freshman Rep. Ami Bera, D-Calif., marks her third attempt in as many cycles to come to Congress. Each time, she’s shown a willingness to reach into her own pockets to help her campaign.

So far, Emken has put $285,000 into her campaign this cycle. The race for California’s 7th District is a brutal battle for the top two spots next November: Bera faces three Republicans, Emken, former Rep. Doug Ose and former Capitol Hill aide Igor Birman.

Before seeking office, Emken worked at IBM in management, financial analysis and corporate operations and later was an executive for an autism nonprofit, according to her official biography.

Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call Race Rating: Leans Democratic

[Cincinatus' Wife]

2014 interactive map: [The Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call ratings for House, Senate and Governor are categorized to reflect the degree to which one party or the other is projected to win. Ratings don’t reflect how close a contest is expected to be, but rather the degree of certainty that one political party will win the seat.]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Cruz says conservatives need to focus on OPPORTUNITY like a laser. That the biggest lie is that the Republican Party is the party of the rich.

Below is part of what Senator Cruz told the Iowa audience.

Introduced as, "from wacko bird to "soaring eagle" - Ted Cruz at the Iowa Republican Party Reagan Dinner - Cruz's talk starts about 30:00 into the C-SPAN VIDEO.

About the 1:00 mark of the video he starts talking strategy: “the path to victory” - don’t take advice from the New York Times on how the Republican party can save itself - we need to unify - we need to come together - growth and freedom are principles and ideals that unify the Republican Party - the evangelical community with the liberty movement, with the business community - growth and freedom bring together Main Street and the Tea Party.

If we get back to our core principles that’s how you reassemble and keep strong Ronald Reagan’s 3 legged stool....... then he describes how it has been done (wrongly in recent losing elections) and how that didn’t work - got our clocks cleaned (except the grass roots campaign in 2010 and our stand against Obamacare and for growth and freedom won elections up and down the ticket)............you don’t win races by keeping your heads down......

Poppycock: run to the right in the primary and run to the middle in the general - if you do that you destroy every reason for voters to show up and vote for you...... Cruz continues in the vein of “why this fight is worth it” (worth a listen). We must focus on “opportunity” - the biggest lie is that the Republican Party is the party of the rich..........continues.....

[Mr. K]

you mean rich politicians like harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi?

who start political life poor and somehow got rich while working a government job?

oh wait... those are democrats

[Berlin_Freeper]

God Blessed Texas

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Love that!

[Cowboy Bob]

As a Republican, I dream that one day I will be as wealthy as Nancy Pelosi and Dianne Feinstein.

[SC_Pete]

Why is a House seat worth buying? Because our entire system is corrupt. We need term limits and NO career politicians.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Cincinatus' Wife.

Democrats constituted some of the richest candidates of 2012, including Reps. John Delaney of Maryland, Suzan DelBene of Washington and Scott Peters of California.

But we knew that, *it was in all the papers.* /s

[x]

Democrats constituted some of the richest candidates of 2012, including Reps. John Delaney of Maryland, Suzan DelBene of Washington and Scott Peters of California. All three made Roll Call’s 50 Richest list this year.

Did any of them have to face the headline, "Wealthy Democrat Candidates Seek House"?

FWIW, Reid's net worth = 2.6 to 3.0 million. Pelosi's net worth = 6 million to 26 million to 58 million to 174 million to 196 million to 204 million.

There's some question about how he got his money, but as Senators go, he's not among the richest. She is, and nobody really seems to know just how rich she and he husband really are.

Part of it may be, if you own something like a UFL franchise (as the Pelosis' did), you can lose millions overnight if the league folds (as it did), but they seem to be very secretive people.