Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) is heading into the final stretch of the Democratic primary for Congress in New Jersey’s 8th district with a significant cash advantage over Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, according to pre-primary reports filed with the Federal Election Commission through May 15.
Menendez has $696,354 in his warchest after raising $1,660,473 for his re-election campaign. Bhalla has outraised Menendez, bringing in $2,021,705 for his bid to unseat the son of indicted U.S. Senator Bob Menendez; he had $384,534 banked as of nine days ago.
And Bhalla outraised Menendez between April 1 and May 15, $396,632 to $247,328.
A third candidate, Kyle Jasey, has not filed a pre-primary report.
Cash-on-hand numbers can be misleading since some of the money can be spent only in the general election.
In the race for the 3rd district House seat Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown) is giving up to seek the U.S. Senate seat now held by Bob Menendez, Assembly Health Committee Chairman Herb Conaway, Jr. (D-Delran) has outraised Assembly Majority Whip Carol Murphy.
Conaway brought in $144,982 during the first six weeks of the second quarter, and $471,309 total; he had $130,478 cash-on hand as of May 15.
Murphy raised $47,024 during the pre-primary reporting period; she had $32,890 remaining of the $169,052 raised.
Civil Rights attorney Joe Cohn has raised $140,176, including $13,592 during the six-week period. He had $51,579 in the bank.
Two other candidates have struggled to raise money: businesswoman Sarah Schoengood has raised $32,878, including a $15,000 personal loan, and had $2,241 remaining; and teacher Brian Schkeeper had $3,905 left after raising $14,960.
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) has raised $1,034,473 and had $1,422,816 cash-on-hand in his bid for a 15th term. His primary opponent in the 9th district, Prospect Park Mayor Mohamad Khairullah, has raised $239,249 and has $112,868 remaining.
In a 2nd district Democratic primary to pick an opponent for Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis), businessman Joe Salerno has raised $788,788, including $453,277 in personal loans; he has $245,439 banked. The 2002 candidate, Tim Alexander, has raised $173,140 for his rematch bid; he has $18,006 cash-on-hand. Carolyn Rush, who lost to Alexander in a primary two years ago, has raised $124,539 and had $96,891 in her warchest.
In New Jersey’s 7th district, one of the most competitive House races in the U.S., Democrat Sue Altman outraised freshman Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) between April 1 and May 15. Altman’s brought in $378,419 and Kean’s haul was $341,144; she outraised Kean in the first quarter of this year as well.
But Kean is the fundraising leader; he’s raised $3,634,724 in his bid for a second term. Altman has raised $1,744,476.
Kean had $2,536,334 cash-on-hand; Altman had banked $1,146,389.
U.S. SENATE RACE
In the GOP primary for the Menendez Senate seat, hotelier Curtis Bashaw brought in $300,211 between April 1 and May 15; he’s raised $1,417,913 total, including an $800,000 personal loan, and had $524,682 in his account.
Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano Glassner, who was endorsed by Donald Trump two weeks ago, has raised $474,906, including her own $300,000 loan; she brought in $71,599 in the first 45 days of the second quarter and had $262,419 cash-on-hand.
Former Tabernacle Deputy Mayor Justin Michael Murphy has raised $9,938 for his statewide campaign and is carrying a $362 debt. U.S. Navy veteran Albert Harshaw hasn’t reported raising anything.
On the Democratic side, Kim’s fundraising haul for the first six weeks of the second quarter was $897,767; he’s raised $7,897,800 so far in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat and had $4,089,654 cash-on-hand.
Kim’s two primary opponents have raised significantly less: Patricia Campos-Medina has brought in $430,674, including a $290,000 personal loan, and had $25,663 banked; and Lawrence Hamm, a former Newark school board member, has not filed a pre-primary report.
Two Democratic House members considering a run for governor next year added to their coffers.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff), the Human Fundraising Machine, raised $641,563 between April 1 and May 15, which works out to be more than $14,256-per-day. His haul so far this cycle is $7,032,030, and he has $18,439,167 cash-on-hand.
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) brought in $204,980 during the first 75 days of the second quarter and has raised $2,707,365 for her re-election campaign in the 11th district. Sherrill has $1,256,661 in the bank.