During the first three months of the year, Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild raised $228,000, a campaign fundraising haul that left her with $189,000 on hand at the end of March toward next year’s re-election contest.
Wild is one of three Pennsylvania lawmakers who are prime targets for national Republicans as the GOP attempts to win back control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The former civil litigator and Allentown solicitor won election last year to represent a Lehigh Valley-based district that’s seen as highly competitive.
Wild’s fundraising haul was lower than some other freshmen Democrats nationally, particularly those from donor-rich areas in California and New York. A Politico analysis found that only eight of the 43 Democrats targeted by Republicans in next year’s election raised less than $300,000, and Wild was among them.
But she raised more than most of Pennsylvania’s six other freshmen — and more than another Pennsylvanian representing a seat that the GOP is seeking to win back. Rep. Conor Lamb, a suburban Pittsburgh lawmaker who won a high-dollar special election last year, reported raising $122,000, leaving him with $319,000 on hand at the end of March.
Democratic U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, a four-term lawmaker from Scranton and also on the Republican target list, raised $279,000 and had $653,000 on hand at the end of the three-month reporting period.
The three Pennsylvania Democrats are part of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s Frontline program, which provides financial and other support to endangered incumbents. The DCCC raised a record amount for a first quarter in an off-year, according to Politico, while national Republicans have pledged that their incumbents and challengers also will have plenty of outside assistance available.
Republican Brian Fitzpatrick, a Bucks County lawmaker who narrowly won an expensive re-election bid in November, reported that $150,000 of the $440,000 he raised was from several joint fundraising committees, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s “Take Back the House 2020” PAC.
In winning her 7th District race last year to represent Lehigh, Northampton and part of Monroe counties, Wild raised and spent $3.3 million, with outside groups spending a similar figure for and against the contenders vying in the open seat vacated by Republican former U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent.
One Republican so far has filed paperwork to challenge Wild next year. Dean Browning, who ran for the U.S. House seat in 2016 but lost in the GOP primary, had $105,000 in his campaign coffers at the end of the three-month reporting period. Nearly all of that was from a $100,000 personal loan Browning made to his campaign.
2019 campaign cash among local lawmakers
Susan Wild, D-7th (Lehigh, Northampton, parts of Monroe)
Raised $228,000; spent $65,000; has $189,000 on hand
Madeleine Dean, D-4th (Montgomery, parks of Berks)
Raised $115,000; spent $76,000; has $184,000 on hand
Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st (Bucks, parts of Montgomery)
Raised $440,000; spent $90,000; has $467,000 on hand
Dan Meuser, R-9th (Schuylkill, parts of Carbon and Berks)
Raised $71,000; spent $19,000; has $65,000 on hand
Washington correspondent Laura Olson can be reached at 202-780-9540 or lolson@mcall.com.
