Halfway through the year, fundraising for the 2018 Congressional campaign season is already in full swing.
In the race for the 25th District seat, nearly $960,000 has been raised among the four candidates combined, according to the Federal Election Commission.
Incumbent Congressman Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) currently has the most funds raised with $436,375.54.
Of 104 donations listed by the FEC as contributors to Knight’s campaign, 65 of those are from Political Action Committees.
“These reports come out every quarter and every quarter Congressman Knight has more money than his opponents,” Matt Rexroad, Political Consultant for Knight’s campaign said. “Yet money isn’t the most important thing. What Knight has, that none of the other candidates do, is a record of service to this community that has lasted a lifetime.”
Knight received $10,000each from three donors, including the Majority Committee PAC, Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. PAC and Chevron Employees PAC.
Bryan Caforio, an attorney who ran against Knight in the last election cycle, currently leads the Democrats in terms of funds raised with $225,513.19.
“While Steve Knight continues to rely on Washington special interests to fill his campaign coffers, Bryan’s campaign is powered by real people who are tired of politics as usual, are ready for a change in leadership and know that Bryan will be a representative they can count on to fight for them in Congress,” Nicole DeMont, Caforio’s Campaign Manager said.
The largest donations to Caforio’s campaign war chest are from Screen Strategies Media which donated $10,064.05 to Caforio for Congress, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers PAC and Sheet Metal Workers’ International Association Political Action League which each donated $10,000.
Deputy CEO of nonprofit organization PATH Katie Hill, who was the first to announce her candidacy in the 2018 race, follows with $221,033.28.
Hill’s largest donation comes from Rafe Perry of Perry Consulting Group in West Hill, Calif. for $2,700. Cali Hayes, a designer and writer in Portland, Oregon, PATH’s Quality Assurance Manager Paula Campbell and Videographer Brandon Campbell each donated $2,500 worth of services to the campaign.
“I am beyond proud of this movement we’re building and the amount we’ve been able to raise from real people who want to help make change happen,” Katie Hill said. “We’re out to prove that it’s time for working and middle-class Americans to have a voice in our democracy once again, not just the wealthy or corporations or party elites, and this is how it starts.”
Volcanologist and co-founder of nonprofit Blueprint Earth Jess Phoenix has accumulated $77,001.02 in her congressional campaign thus far. Phoenix was selected to run by 314 Action, an organization that recruits candidates with science backgrounds.
The largest donations made to Phoenix’s campaign were each for $2,700 each, one from Ronald Kahn of San Francisco and the other from John Wroclawski of Venice, Calif.
Contributors to Phoenix’s campaign included people from Illinois, Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Nevada, Florida and Washington as well.
“People here in Southern California and across the country are excited about scientists running for office,” Jess Phoenix said. “I have received tremendous support from the science community and national donors who believe we need a pro-science voice in Congress.”
