Third quarter Congressional campaign finance reports favor 1st, 2nd and 3rd District incumbents as well as 4th District Republican.
With Congressional Midterm Elections just three weeks away, the latest quarterly campaign finance reports have been filed with and released by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). Those reports cover the July through September period.
Here is how each candidate running in Mississippi’s November 8th General Election stacks up as they race down the stretch.
1ST DISTRICT
Even without a Primary challenger, incumbent 1st District Republican Congressman Trent Kelly has raised nearly $1 million this cycle and still has a current cash on hand balance of almost $340,000.
His Democrat opponent Dianne Black has not been as fortunate, raising only $15,000 total for the cycle.
Kelly is the safe bet to win re-election on November 8th.
Republican:
- Trent Kelly (incumbent)
– Raised this period: $192,500
– Cash on hand: $339,100
– Raised to date this cycle: $947,000
Democrat:
- Dianne Black
– Raised this period: $15,300
– Cash on hand: $13,400
– Raised to date this cycle: $15,300
2ND DISTRICT
Mississippi 2nd District incumbent Congressman Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, continues to benefit from being a loyal lieutenant to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Campaign funds, largely from out-of-state, have flowed Thompson’s way throughout this cycle, pushing his current cash on hand to $1.9 million, the most of any other U.S. House candidate or incumbent in the Magnolia State.
Thompson’s Republican challenger for the second time, Brian Flowers, has struggled to pull in any real dollars for a second time, only raising $18,000 this entire cycle.
Thompson is on cruise control and will no doubt win re-election once again on November 8th.
Republican:
- Brian Flowers
– Raised this period: $18,100
– Cash on hand: $12,200
– Raised to date this cycle: $18,100
Democrat:
- Bennie Thompson (incumbent)
– Raised this period: $194,400
– Cash on hand: $1,900,000
– Raised to date this cycle: $1,261,800
3RD DISTRICT
Incumbent 3rd District Republican Congressman Michael Guest was in the race of his political life a few months back, which required his campaign to quickly raise money as it worked to revive his chances in a Republican Primary Runoff. Guest’s $1.2 million raised this cycle went largely to that effort. This latest reporting period showed Guest adding $87,000 to the campaign coffers and maintaining a cash on hand balance of $144,000.
That should be plenty to finish this year’s race as Guest’s Democrat opponent Shuwaski Young has not been able to keep pace, raising just over $68,000 for the full cycle, less than $10,000 of which flowed into his campaign this period. Young has roughly $800 cash on hand.
Guest should end this campaign season with a re-election win on November 8th.
Republican:
- Michael Guest (incumbent)
– Raised this period: $87,400
– Cash on hand: $144,200
– Raised to date this cycle: $1,241,900
Democrat:
- Shuwaski Young
– Raised this period: $9,900
– Cash on hand: $800
– Raised to date this cycle: $68,300
4TH DISTRICT
Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell bested incumbent 4th District Congressman Steven Palazzo in a Republican Primary Runoff back in June. Since then, Ezell’s campaign has raised over $278,000 this period, pushing his cycle total to nearly $821,000. Ezell made up ground after the runoff and now has $114,000 cash on hand.
Surprisingly, Johnny DuPree is the only other Democratic candidate this cycle to raise over the $100,000 mark for the cycle, but DuPree has been unable to catch Ezell, having less than $40,000 cash on hand in the waning weeks of the campaign.
As is the case with most third party runs, Libertarian Alden Johnson struggled to gain a $1,000 for the entire cycle.
Ezell will win his first term to Congress when the dust settles on November 8th.
Republican:
- Mike Ezell
– Raised this period: $278,400
– Cash on hand: $114,600
– Raised to date this cycle: $821,600
Democrat:
- Johnny DuPree
– Raised this period: $49,200
– Cash on hand: $39,400
– Raised to date this cycle: $107,100
Libertarian:
- Alden Johnson
– Raised this period: $200
– Cash on hand: $1,100
– Raised to date this cycle: $200
Frank Corder
