This morning, we saw an article from the Journal Gazette on Congressman Marlin Sutzman’s fundraising for the quarter and it made us curious about the rest of the Indiana Delegation.
Congressman Visclosky, District 1: $73,568 raised, $469,547 cash on hand
Congressman Donnelly, District 2: $363,288 raised, $338,286 cash on hand
Congressman Stutzman, District 3: $59,937 raised, $33,184 cash on hand
Congressman Rokita, District 4: $120,848 raised, $374,072 cash on hand
Congressman Burton, District 5: $48,006 raised, $210,124 cash on hand
Congressman Pence, District 6: $278,088 raised, $434,294 cash on hand
Congressman Carson, District 7: $63,550 raised, $207,910 cash on hand
Congressman Bucshon, District 8: $45,330 raised, $36,494 cash on hand
Congressman Young, District 9: $154,283 raised, $140,070 cash on hand
A few things stood out to us. First, Congressman Visclosky is in a strong financial position as well as politically. The best time for a challenger, primary or general election, would have been in 2010 and the opportunity has passed. We’re not sure if they can give him a crown but they may as well.
Second, Congressman Donnelly has kicked up his fundraising. We believe this is another indication he will be seeking the U.S. Senate seat in 2012 and we have been saying he will for months. Third, Congressman Rokita is raising dollars and has significant cash on hand. The question is why? He is in a fairly safe seat and is known to be incredibly ambitious. We’ll be keeping an eye on it. Fourth, the worst kept secret in town is that Congressman Pence is running for Governor. His fundraising and cash on hand seem to indicate he is getting his operation up and running.
Finally, Congressman Dan Burton is in the exact opposite position as Visclosky. Burton’s cash on hand of just over $210,000 is the lowest cash on hand the year before an election year he has had in recent memory. In 2009, he had $353,651 and he had $700,097 in 2007. Granted, he has competition and has had to spend the money but he will likely have competition again this year. A candidate that aggressively raises money could become a significant problem for the Congressman. Politically, we’ve already discussed how the new district cuts out the areas where he is typically strongest. This would be the year for someone to circle the wagons and win this district.
