Rep. Mia Love’s campaign is spending cash faster than they pull it in, but her top political adviser isn’t worried.
According to the latest FEC reports, Love’s campaign has pulled in $1,026,880 so far this year, but they’ve spent $1.164,803. They had cash left over following the 2016 election cycle, which leaves them with $310,688 on hand.
Dave Hansen, Love’s campaign manager says most of the money they’ve spent so far this year has gone toward building up their fundraising operations so that they can pull in cash next year. The most current spending report details more than $150,000 in disbursements related to fundraising and direct mail.
“We’ve been building our lists and prospecting,” says Hansen. “Since it’s an off year, we have had a chance to really boost that part of the operation.”
Hansen also says that their fundraising has suffered a bit after Donald Trump unexpectedly won the presidency last year, so they’ve had to change tactics.
“Frankly, we don’t have Hillary Clinton to kick around anymore, so that’s been a struggle,” says Hansen.
However, Hansen says Love’s fundraising has ticked up since word broke earlier this month that Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams was mulling a challenge to her next year. Hansen says they’ve been able to raise nearly $100,000 in the first half of this month since they sent out a fundraising appeal noting McAdams’ interest in the race.
McAdams has not yet declared whether or not he intends to jump into the race next year. But, simply because of McAdams’s interest in a campaign, the Cook Political Report moved their race rating from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican,” a rating change that slightly favors the Democrats.
There are three other Democrats who have declared their intention to challenge Love next year, but their financial disclosures come nowhere near to what Love has in the bank.
- Darlene McDonald reported $6,092 in campaign donations for the quarter and $2,950 in the bank.
- Tom Taylor raised $1,253 in the last quarter, giving him $5,686 in cash on hand.
- Marla Mott-Smith raised $2,923 since July, leaving her $9,775 in the bank.
