Michael Roth is one of seven Democrats running for the 7th congressional district against Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) – and he’s now one of four who has raised more than a million dollars.
Roth’s campaign announced today that it has hit the $1 million milestone, a total that includes a recent $400,000 investment of his own money. Fellow Democratic candidates Rebecca Bennett, Tina Shah, and Brian Varela have also surpassed $1 million raised, with Bennett’s $1.9 million leading the pack.
Roth, who briefly served as a top official in President Joe Biden’s Small Business Administration and now lives in Westfield, said in a statement that his fundraising totals reflect his commitment to the 7th district.
“I won’t be going to Congress to learn how it works. I am the only candidate in this who can show up on day one and deliver real results for New Jerseyans,” he said. “And my fundraising reflects that – almost 80% of donations from the last half a year have been from New Jersey voters. This is the vision folks can get behind, and I’m excited to keep spreading our message far and wide across this district, and earn the trust and vote of the folks we need to win this race.”
The new numbers reflect Roth’s total fundraising from his April launch date through today; his 4th quarter report, which covers a shorter period from October 1 through December 31, will be filed on Saturday. (Roth had raised just over $450,000 as of the end of the 3rd quarter in September.)
The fact that four different 7th district Democratic candidates have each surpassed $1 million raised is an astonishing statement in and of itself; in prior cycles, even having a single House challenger with that kind of money would have sent waves through the New Jersey political world. It also raises the possibility, though, of a prolonged – and expensive – Democratic brawl that continues all the way through the June 2 primary.
As of September, Kean had nearly $2 million on-hand for his re-election campaign in a district that narrowly voted for both Donald Trump and Mikie Sherrill.