Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Four House incumbents pile up cash
Arkansas Republicans outraise 2018 challengers
WASHINGTON — Nine months before the 2018 general election, Arkansas’ four incumbent U.S. congressmen each has hundreds of thousands of dollars on hand for their re-election campaigns.
The lawmakers, all Republicans, outraised their challengers during the fourth quarter of 2017, according to campaign-finance reports filed this week with the Federal Election Commission.
Third District U.S. Rep. Steve Womack of Rogers, the new chairman of the House Budget Committee, raised the most, with net contributions of $206,107 between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31. Womack had quarterly expenditures of $94,030 and reported cash on hand of $1,362,840.
His Republican primary opponent, the Rev. Robert Ryerse of Springdale, raised $7,756, spent $5,693 and had $5,248 cash on hand.
Democrat Josh Mahony of Fayetteville raised $20,268, spent $17,710 and reported cash on hand of $17,040. Mahony also listed debts and obligations of $6,666.
The campaign of 4th District U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman collected $196,690 and spent $51,015, leaving the Hot Springs politician with cash on hand of $767,645.
Democrat Hayden Shamel of Hot Springs raised $25,276, spent $6,893 and had $18,531 cash on hand.
Independent Lee McQueen of Texarkana raised $214.30 and spent $102.63, leaving him with $111.67.
No report was available for Democrat Richard Davis of Subiaco.
In the 2nd District, U.S. Rep. French Hill of Little Rock reported contributions of $188,751 and expenditures of $66,627. He had $1,300,287 cash on hand.
Democrat Paul Spencer of Scott raised $135,277. He spent $11,533 and had cash on hand of $128,205. Spencer, who raised more money than any other congressional challenger in Arkansas, had publicly released his fundraising figures a month ago.
The other Democrat in the race, Gwendolynn Combs of Little Rock, raised $9,511, spent $2,799 and had cash on hand of $10,407.
In the 1st District, U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford of Jonesboro reported net contributions of $90,851; expenditures of $51,227 and cash on hand totaling $352,402.
The FEC didn’t list a campaign-finance report for
Democrat Chintan Desai of Helena.
Reports had not yet been posted for Arkansas’ two U.S. senators.
U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican from Dardanelle, had $692,407 cash on hand for his 2020 re-election campaign as of Sept. 30, with debts and obligations of $88,958.
During the same period, U.S. Sen. John Boozman had $412,961 cash on hand and debts or loans totaling $1,500. The Republican from Rogers isn’t up for re-election until 2022.
“The huge disparity between our candidates’ fundraising efforts to their Democrat counterparts is a testament to how enthusiastic Arkansans are to see our Republican congressmen re-elected,” Doyle Webb, Republican Party of Arkansas chairman, said in a statement.
A spokesman for the Democratic Party of Arkansas declined to comment on the latest fundraising figures.
If history is any indicator, Democrats nationally are likely to gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives this year, Ouachita Baptist University political science professor Hal Bass said.
In past midterm elections, the party that didn’t hold the White House has usually made gains.
This year, at least 33 Republican congressmen have announced that they’re retiring or seeking a different elected office. Only 15 Democrats, thus far, have said they’re leaving.
Many of these open seats will be heavily contested, Bass said. But incumbents, regardless of party, will be harder to dislodge, he said.
“Nationally, I think Republicans fear that they’re going to be vulnerable because the presidential party generally loses seats, but whether that translates into anything in Arkansas remains to be seen,” he said.
The fundraising gap between Arkansas Democrats and Republicans “highlights just how solidly Republican the Arkansas congressional districts have become,” he added.
Jay Barth, a political science professor at Hendrix College, said it’s not surprising that Democratic fundraising is strongest in the 2nd District.
“I think the national Democrats still think they have a shot — especially if there’s a wave election of some sort,” he said.
Getting Democrats to spend money in the other districts is harder, he said, “just because of the perception and the reality that those have become more thoroughly Republican districts over the last eight years or so.”