Congressional campaign finance reports were released today, and the news isn’t terribly good for some of Orange County’s challengers.
In the 47th Congressional District, Assemblyman Van Tran reported $347,914 cash on hand. The incumbent, Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, by comparison, reported $1,123,245 cash on hand.
That is really shocking as Tran has been planning to run for Congress for years. He is already at a huge disadvantage, and the campaign is just getting started.
Over in the 48th, Democratic challenger Beth Krom reported $167,022 cash on hand. The incumbent, Congressman John Campbell, reported $1,165,959 cash on hand. Game over.
In the 44th, Democratic challenger Bill Hedrick reported $115,494 cash on hand. The incumbent, Ken Calvert, reported $576,860 cash on hand. Ouch.
There do not appear to be any congressional districts in play this year. The incumbents simply have too much money and the challengers just can’t seem to raise much at all.
It is early yet but when Sanchez and Campbell are each reporting over a million bucks in the bank, you can see how Quixotic the campaigns of their challengers really are…
Sanchez should be nervous. So much in the Viet community is not visible to outsiders. Don’t you worry about Van, he will be ready to fight the good fight.
Politicians sure can raise the money for the Party, the drinking and good times paid for out legal bribes.
Why is there not a “SIN” tax on these funds? This is the evil money of politics and I would like to see a gross receipts tax levied.
I wouldn’t count Hedrick out. In 2008 he was outspent by Calvert 5-to-1 and got 49% of the vote (on BH’s website). Looks like deja vu all over again there, and I’m already getting stuff from the Hedrick people about walking, phone banks, and talking to voters.
If Ken Calvert is running this year’s election like 2008 and Bill Hedrick has stepped up his game (considerably from what I can tell), I think Calvert’s in an awful lot of trouble.
Ken Calvert is in the sort of trouble that any multi-millionaire finally leaving 18 years at the public teat, with a fine pension and healthcare, finds himself in.
I see him swiftly becoming a lobbyist for Big Oil. And continuing the ongoing fight to drill off all California’s shores, right up to the coastlines!
Julie,
I hope so! I am pulling for Hedrick.
Van Tran’s fundraising total doubled from last quarter. If he keeps up this pace, he will have plenty of money to get his message out.
Also, notice Political Action Committees have given $539,824 to Sanchez and $48,344 to Tran.
Pretty clear who the Washington special interests prefer. Too bad for Sanchez this is a horrible year for Washington insiders to win re-election
Also, Loretta Sanchez will need twice as much money to explain how she sits by and says nothing while oil spills out of the gulf. Or why the healthcare debates were not on CSPAN. Or why they had to bribe Louisiana and Nebraska politicians to get them to support the healthcare gove’t takeover. Shouldn’t a supposed “BlueDog” Democrat stand up to Pelosi and Obama on that kind of wasteful spending?
Loretta Sanchez is no “Blue Dog,” She is a lap dog for Pelosi and Obama’s out-of-control spending. Sanchez votes with Pelosi 98% of the time.
Ah, a visit from VO, Van Tran’s nonstop blogospheric shill. Where’s all the commie-bashing, Vo? You’re losing your touch.