By Kyle Trygstad - Real Clear Politics
Some of the top Republican House candidates in the country have self-funded large portions of their campaign coffers a plus for a party aiming to win back Congress this year.
One-third of the 39 candidates that have reached the second tier of the National Republican Congressional Committees three-step campaign organization program have given or loaned their campaigns significant amounts of money recent Federal Election Commission filings show.
If Democrats hold on to their three remaining vacant seats in special elections this year the GOP will need to pick up 40 seats to win back the House. Even with the national political landscape favoring them GOP challengers need cash to keep up with incumbents that have been raising money for more than a year.
The NRCC had just $6 million in the bank at the end of February so candidates able to raise vast amounts of money -- including from their own personal bank accounts -- are attractive. The committees Democratic counterpart has more than three times as much on hand.
The candidate whos loaned his campaign the most so far is Tom Ganley whos challenging second-term Rep. Betty Sutton in Ohios 13th District. Despite raising just $16000 Ganley has shelled out $2 million of his own money and has nearly 10 times as much cash on hand as the incumbent.
Another top self-funder is Randy Altschuler whos loaned his campaign more than half of the $2 million hes brought in. Hes running against fourth-term Rep. Tim Bishop in New Yorks 1st District on Long Island.
The other 11 Republicans whove reached the NRCCs Contender status and are partially self-funding their campaigns include (candidate district amount loaned and/or contributed to campaign):
• Scott Rigell VA-2 $599000
• Bill Flores TX-17 $493000
• Nan Hayworth NY-19 $400000
• Brian Rooney MI-7 $240000
• David McKinley WV-1 $200000
• Tom Reed NY-29 $135000
• Jim Renacci OH-16 $122000
• Frank Guinta NH-1 $120000
• Rick Berg ND-AL $110000
• Keith Fimian VA-11 $105000
• Larry Bucshon IN-8 $65000
None of the 10 Republican challengers whove reached the top Young Gun status have given more than $25000 to their campaigns. But all have raised enough to be on solid financial ground anyway.
Several of the more than 60 Republicans whove just entered the program are self-funders as well including at least two candidates in each of these districts: New York-23 (which a Democrat won in a special election last year) Pennsylvania-3 (which a Democrat won in 2008) and California-11 (which a Democrat first won in 2006).
Both parties selected candidates who could self-fund for last years special election in New Yorks 20th District. Democrat Scott Murphy and Republican Jim Tedisco both loaned their campaigns at least $200000 for the three month-long campaign with Murphy finishing on top by 726 votes.
The strategy is being utilized again in next months special election in Pennsylvanias 12th District where GOP nominee Tim Burns has loaned his campaign $225000.
Kyle Trygstad covers campaigns and Congress for RealClearPolitics. He can be reached at
kyle@realclearpolitics.com
