Third district fundraising update

The third district Republican congressional candidates are much more candid about their fundraising numbers than their northern counterparts in the seventh district. 

Leading the pack is Lockheed Martin executive Chris Myers, who has raised about $275,000, according to campaign manager Chris Russell. 

“We have an aggressive schedule before the filing deadline, and we think we’re going to happy where we are at that time,” Russell said.

But trailing not too far behind is Ocean County Freeholder Jack Kelly, who said that he’s raised $200,000 despite early doubts from Republican insiders that he would stay in the race until the June primary. 

Kelly made it clear that he’s in this for the long haul, and even if he trails Myers financially, he’ll have the resources to continue his fight. 

“There are other people who might have been doubters in the beginning who are now saying ‘ok, this is a real contest,” said Kelly.  “I kind of like being the underdog, so there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Kelly has several fundraisers planned, and expects to raise $400-$600,000 by the time of the primary rolls around (Russell declined to discuss Myers’ fundraising goals).

“Since day one I’ve been saying that we have the ability to raise enough dollars to get the message out.  From my perspective that’s never changed, but perception has changed,” he said.  “When the reports are in at the beginning of April all the liars’ poker stops and everyone will have real numbers out there.”

Of course Kelly and Myers aren’t the only two candidates in the race.  Two others are running outside the powerful party apparatuses in Ocean and Burlington Counties, and their fundraising totals so far reflect their status as outliers.

In Ocean County, rebel Republican Suzanne Penna has raised about $10,000.  But she never expected to raise much cash against the GOP power houses.

“From what I’ve been reading Burlington is even worse than Ocean County,” said Penna, a nursing student at Ocean County Community College who was driven into local politics by rising tuition costs. “It’s all been done with money.  We’re fighting an upward battle.”

Over in Burlington County, former Tabernacle Township Committeeman Justin Murphy was just slapped by the Myers campaign, which announced the endorsement of his hometown’s Republican leadership – three of whom he served with on the committee.

Murphy, who has the support of his friend, former Jersey City mayor/gubernatorial candidate Bret Schundler, would not say how much he’s raised so far – only that he has held two fundraisers in which he raised enough to complete the “introductory phase” of his campaign. 

But while Republicans build war chests for the upcoming primary, uncontested Democrat John Adler was sitting on $590,000 cash-on-hand as of the last report filed with the Federal Election Commission.  It’s unclear how much he’s raised since then.