Torres Small maintains huge money advantage
U.S. House race could be pivotal in deciding control of Congress
Democrat Xochitl Torres Small continues to vastly outraise her GOP opponent in a key U.S. House race in southern New Mexico that could determine which party controls Congress, new federal documents show.
According to new Federal Election Commission filings made public over the weekend, water rights attorney Torres Small raised $803,650 during the first two weeks in October while Republican state lawmaker Yvette Herrell pulled in $147,779. That’s a more than five times advantage in money raised for an open U.S. House seat that both parties have targeted.
In addition to the fundraising edge, Torres Small’s campaign reported having $1,003,194 cash on hand on Oct. 17. Records show Herrell had $406,459 at the end of the same filing period.
The seat has been held by a Republican since 2011 but Democrats hope that Torres Small can flip the traditional GOP-leaning congressional district that sits along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The new filings came just weeks after third-quarter campaign financing reports showed Torres Small raised more than three times as much money from July through September as Herrell in the race for the 2nd Congressional District seat.
The fundraising leverage has allowed Torres Small to saturate the Albuquerque and southern New Mexico television markets with about a dozen commercials showing her shooting a gun as a hunter, speaking about border security and featuring Republican supporters who say they will “vote the person, not the party.”
Herrell’s campaign has focused on turning out her conservative, rural base in eastern New Mexico by claiming that Torres Small is too liberal for the district. She declined to participate in television debates with Torres Small and has promoted endorsements from the National Rifle Association and other conservativeleaning groups.