Month to go
Incumbent raises more than twice as much as opponent in quarter
Stefanik far ahead of Cobb in funding in race for North Country House seat.
With a month to go before Election Day, U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik has more than twice the campaign cash on hand of her Democratic challenger Tedra Cobb.
The Schuylerville Republican raised over $3 million in the third quarter, ending Sept. 30, and has over $4 million cash on hand, her campaign said Monday.
She has collected a whopping $10.7 million so far this cycle in pursuit of her fourth term.
“Thank you to my supporters across the North Country and across America for your overwhelming support for my reelection campaign,” Stefanik said Monday. “I am excited to continue criss-crossing the district in the final stretch to meet with voters — Republicans, independents and Democrats.”
Cobb raised $1.2 million in the same period and has $1.4 million left in her campaign war chest, Cobb’s campaign said.
The former St. Lawrence County legislator, who also ran against Stefanik in 2018, has raised $5 million so far this cycle.
Federal Communications Commission filings show both candidates spent heavily on television advertising in the Watertown media market in August and September.
From July 6 to Oct. 3, Stefanik spent $175,000 on digital ads on Facebook compared to $66,200 by Cobb, according to data compiled by Facebook.
Stefanik has led Cobb in fundraising throughout the race, with Stefanik at times raking in record amounts; Cobb, too, collected large sums for the district.
An influx of contributions flooded the race after Stefanik fiercely defended President Donald Trump in the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment inquiry hearings. In August, she spoke at the Republican National Convention, an event that again pushed the congresswoman into the national spotlight.
With her fundraising edge, Stefanik had already contributed about $59,000 to other Republican candidates and committees as of June 30, according to the most recent Federal Election Commission filings.
The money fueling both women’s campaigns is largely coming from out of state.
As of June 30, only 13 percent of Stefanik’s fundraising came from New York — about $1 million worth, FEC records show.
Thirty percent of Cobb’s contributions as of June 30 came from New York, $1.2 million.
Stefanik’s average contribution this quarter was $30, while Cobb’s was $47, their respective campaigns said.