Russell regains fundraising edge
Horn leads Democrats
As four candidates for Congress entered the election year, Rep. Steve Russell regained fundraising supremacy and Kendra Horn continued to lead the Democratic pack.
Russell, an Oklahoma City Republican, raised $120,500 in the last three months of 2017 and had $253,225 on hand when 2018 began.
“Congressman Russell is grateful to the people of Oklahoma, both individuals and businesses for their wonderful support,” said Hannah Walcher, his campaign spokesperson.
“He has been and will continue to be focused on getting things done for the people of Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District.”
Horn raised $73,558 last quarter and had $75,322 to spend at year’s end. She surprised many when she outraised Russell in the third quarter of 2017.
“I’m honored by the outpouring of support that so many fellow Oklahomans have shown our campaign,” Horn said.
“The momentum and their enthusiasm is inspiring. It shows Oklahomans are ready for change, and ready for solutions now.”
Tom Guild, a progressive from Edmond, raised $5,308 last quarter and loaned himself another $10,000. He had $32,721 on hand at the end of 2017.
“We are doing it the right way with individual contributions overwhelmingly in small amounts from $1 to $50, while refusing PAC contributions,” Guild said, referring to political action committees. “Americans are tired of unfettered PAC and virtually unregulated special interest money overwhelming and corrupting our political system.”
Ed Porter raised $225 last quarter and has raised $1,380 to date.
He also loaned his campaign $5,000. In an interview Friday, Porter said he intends to run a low-cost campaign.
“I wanted to do this in an effort to say to people here in Oklahoma that we’re ordinary working people just like you are,” Porter said of his campaign.
“So, we’re going to be responsible in the way we collect money and the way that we spend money.
“I have not spent lots of time on fundraising because I know what I want to do and I have a pretty good idea what the cost is,” he added.
“Now, one could look at that and say, ‘You’re going up to the plate with two strikes on you’ and there’s some truth to that but I think the message is the most important thing.”
The three Democrats stressed that donations to their respective campaigns predominantly came from individual donors, rather than PACs.
Of the $120,500 raised by Russell, $97,700 came from PACs. Of the individuals who donated, nine live in Texas, eight in Oklahoma and six from the Washington D.C. area.
“I will fight for working families and those who are having a difficult time making ends meet,” Guild said, “not those with God’s unlisted phone number.”