Torres Small, Chase both raise $500K

District 2 race called among ‘most watched’

A newcomer to the Republican race almost matched the Democratic incumbent in the 2nd Congressional District campaign dollar-for-dollar during the third quarter of the year fundraising.

Both U.S. Rep. Xochitl Torres Small and Republican candidate Claire Chase raised more than a half-million dollars in the quarter, which ended Sept. 30, for the race next year, but Torres Small still holds a sizable overall fundraising advantage over her potential Republican rivals.

U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland also holds a large fundraising lead over the other two candidates in the 1st Congressional District race.

Torres Small raised more than $556,000, the third straight quarter she’s raised more than a half-million dollars. She has almost $1.5 million in her war chest for what Brian Sanderoff, president of Albuquerque-based Research & Polling Inc., calls “one of the most competitive, most watched races in the country.”

The congresswoman raised more than $275,000 online through the Democratic organization Act Blue and almost $13,000 through Emily’s List. She raised more than $115,000 through political party committees or political action committees.

Reports of anti-Trump posts on Facebook by Chase did not seem to hinder her ability to raise funds after she entered the Republican race in August against former state Rep. Yvette Herrell and Las Cruces businessman Chris Mathys.

Chase, an oil and gas industry executive from Roswell, has raised more that $510,000 since entering the race, which is more than Herrell and Mathys have raised through the first three quarters of the year. She had almost $475,000 cash on hand. Chase

raised $7,000 through PACs.

Herrell — the GOP’s nominee in 2018 — raised more than $140,000 during the quarter. She had more than $390,000 cash on hand. Herrell raised almost $96,000 online through the House Freedom Fund and $2,800 through PACs.

Mathys raised $3,205 and lent his campaign $5,000. He had more than $200,000 cash on hand.

The amount of money flowing into the 2nd Congressional race dwarfs the amount of money raised in the 1st Congressional District race, where Haaland is the favorite to win reelection over fellow Democrat Cameron Chick and Republican Brett Kokinadis.

Haaland raised more than $220,000 during the quarter and had more than $201,000 cash on hand. She raised more than $34,000 through PACs. The congresswoman raised more than $108,000 through Act Blue.

Kokinadis reported more than $2,200 in donations and had $1,600 cash on hand. He lent his campaign more than $8,100.

Chick didn’t report any donations this quarter.