Self-funding Democratic Assembly candidate Lisa Mandelblatt has a bigger campaign warchest than six-term Republican Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit), according to most recent reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Mandelblatt has raised $58,350 in her bid to flip one of the 21st district Assembly seats and has $57,835 cash-on-hand. Nearly all of it — $56,100 – comes from a personal loan she made to her campaign.
She also raised $15,690 in a joint account with running mate Stacey Gunderman, which has $8,903 remaining. Just $500 of that was transferred from the Mandelblatt account.
Munoz has raised $81,325 this cycle — $34,820 in the most recent reporting period – and has $40,779 in her campaign account.
In 2017, Munoz nearly lost her seat to Democrat Lacey Cotter Rzeszowski, who came within 1,554
Mandelblatt is a prodigious fundraiser who raised more than $600,000 in a short-lived run for Congress last year – about half of it self-funded.
Gunderman reported raising $4,440 and has $3,290 cash-on-hand.
Jill LaZare, who is challenging Mandelblatt and Gunderman in the Democratic primary, has raised $9,559 and has $9,512 in her warchest.
The other 21st district incumbent, Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), started the cycle with $173,453, raised $152,879, spent $166,444, and has $159,887 cash-on-hand.
Bramnick ran 1,1010 votes ahead of Munoz in the last election and defeated Union County freeholder Bruce Bergen by 4,035 votes.