Pa. Republicans stumble in cash race

The Politicio ^ | July 19, 2010 | Alex Isenstadt

[Clintonfatigued]

Republican House candidates in Pennsylvania, a state expected to be rich with electoral prizes for the GOP this fall, have fallen almost uniformly short in the competition for cash, imperiling their party's prospects in a knot of crucial congressional battlegrounds.

In five districts, Republican challengers ended the second quarter of 2010 vastly outgunned in the fundraising department. Democratic Rep. Kathy Dahlkemper, who represents the 3rd District, reported having $1 million in the bank at the end of June, compared with $104,000 for challenger Mike Kelly, who raised a meager $79,000. In Rep. Jason Altmire's 4th District, the incumbent had $1.5 million in the bank — more than seven times the $202,000 that Republican attorney Keith Rothfus had stashed away.

No challenger in the state disappointed more dramatically than former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino, the Republican running against 10th District Rep. Chris Carney. Marino raised $122,000 in the second three months of 2010 and had $11,000 — a rounding error for more successful candidates — in the bank. Republican state Sen. Dave Argall, running against 17th District Rep. Tim Holden, finished the quarter with only a marginally better $29,000 stash.

Carney had $793,000 on hand at the end of June and Holden had $884,000.

The series of flops leaves Pennsylvania Republicans looking at a smaller list of encouraging pickup opportunities. In the 11th District rematch between Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta and Democratic Rep. Paul Kanjorski, the Republican raised $237,000 to Kanjorski's $220,000. Kanjorski still holds a cash advantage of more than $850,000.

[Tribune7]

ping

[randita]

Pa 10 and PA 4 have been hit hard by the recession. They weren’t doing so great even before the recession hit. I’ll bet Dahlkemper and Carney are getting a lot of their money from outside their districts and those people can’t vote.