In the most recent quarter, Lewiston Democrat Jared Golden raised five times as much money for his 2nd Congressional District race as the Republican incumbent he hopes to defeat.
Golden brought in $2.7 million compared to $538,000 for U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, who has represented the sprawling district since 2014.
Calling it an indication that voters “are ready for real change,” Golden said Monday that he is “incredibly thankful to each and every person who has put their trust in me and my campaign.”
Poliquin, who started off with a much larger campaign treasury, retains a large advantage when it comes to the amount of cash he has available to spend.
As of Sept. 30, Poliquin’s campaign said it had $2.1 million available to spend, while Golden has $640,000 still left from the total raised that he can tap for the final month of the race.
Poliquin’s “substantial cash advantage puts him in a strong position in the final weeks of the campaign,” said Brendan Conley, the congressman’s campaign spokesman.
Golden’s campaign said it will tell the Federal Election Commission on Monday it raised $2.72 million from nearly 20,000 donors during the third quarter of 2018. It said the numbers indicate the Democrat’s “strong fundraising reflects excitement among voters on the ground and the momentum his campaign has built over the past 13 months.”
Poliquin’s campaign said it raised $538,476 in July, August and September.
In addition to the money raised by the candidates, millions of dollars have been spent on the race by super PACs and each political party to try to boost their favorite candidate in the Nov. 6 election.
Republican officials pointed out that Poliquin won in 2014 and 2016 despite being outspent by his Democratic foes and outside groups hoping to boost the Democrats.
The two independents in the race — Portland lawyer Tiffany Bond and Southwest Harbor educator Will Hoar — are not expected to have raised enough to be required to report to the Federal Election Commission. Bond has refused to accept donations for her campaign.
Jared Golden and U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin
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