Million-dollar Democratic primary fights are building in Senate races in Kentucky, Nebraska, New Jersey and Oregon, while newly appointed Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) made a statement with more than $3 million raised in the first quarter.
First-quarter financial reports, which were due Tuesday, showed an increase in money raised across the country, as candidates turned in what was, to many of them, their last full fundraising reports before they begin to encounter real scrutiny or face competitive primaries.
Wicker’s stunning haul was the best single quarter of the cycle so far among current candidates and put Democrats on notice if they want to go after him in this November’s special election. His opponent, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove (D), raised a comparatively paltry $450,000.
Democrats attempted to get an earlier special election for former Sen. Trent Lott’s (R-Miss.) seat but were turned down by the state Supreme Court — a decision that has allowed Wicker to assert his fundraising prowess and potentially scare off a serious effort to defeat him.
The Hill
4/16/8
Magnolia Tribune
