Republican congressional hopeful Bruce Poliquin proved a successful fundraiser since jumping into the 2nd District race this summer.
Poliquin had $870,000 in his campaign treasury at the end of September, the most recent reporting deadline for the Federal Election Commission.
That trails the $1.3 million in cash that two-term Democratic incumbent Jared Golden has in his coffers, but he has had more time to round up contributions.
The other major party contender in the race, Republican Mike Perkins, a state representative from Oakland, had $23,000 in his treasury as of Sept. 30.
The money the candidates have raised will likely wind up overshadowed by the cash that outside groups spend supporting or opposing Golden, who snatched the seat from Poliquin in 2018.
Poliquin, 67, was recently tagged one of 32 “Young Guns” the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee would like to see elected in 2022. That designation will likely bring him more money and notice as the campaign unfolds.
Perkins, 59, said recently that while he can never match Poliquin’s fundraising prowess, he doesn’t want all the out-of-state money that flows to his more high-profile foes. He said his donations are coming mostly from 2nd District residents, something neither Golden, 39, nor Poliquin can say.
In 2020, Golden spent $5.3 million to defeat Republican Dale Crafts of Lisbon, who shelled out $1.3 million his quest for the GOP-leaning seat.
Poliquin and Golden together spent more than $10 million during the 2018 race, with Golden raking in $5.8 million compared to $4.2 million for Poliquin. Independent expenditures outpaced both of them, pushing the total cost of the race to well over $20 million.
Poliquin, who said recently he plans to move to the Bangor area, held the congressional seat from 2014 to 2018, when the Lewiston Democrat defeated him in the nation’s first ranked-choice congressional race.
Perkins and Poliquin will face off in a primary next summer if both stay in the race. Other candidates could potentially leap into the fray as well.
The winner will take on Golden, who doesn’t have a Democratic challenger, in the November general election. There is one declared independent candidate in the contest, Jordan Borrowman of Lewiston.
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