Massive 2Q haul for Gillibrand; outraised Maloney by almost 3-to-1
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raised over one and half million dollars in campaign funds in the 2nd quarter of the campaign finance reporting year. Her likely challenger in the Democratic primary and her former colleague in the House, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, raised a respectable $600 thousand. These numbers must be taken with a huge grain of salt given that for much of the past quarter, Maloney was still deciding whether or not to run and even now she hasn’t officially announced her run for the Senate until after the Bill Clinton fundraiser.
Each side is spinning this news to their advantage: Gillibrand is casting herself as the best campaigner and Maloney is touting this as a sign of increased interest in her campaign.
Gillibrand touts her “tremendous” second quarter gold rush and her growing support within the Democratic establishment in an email she plans to send supporters this afternoon.
“Over the past several weeks, 11 of my Democratic colleagues in New York’s congressional delegation have endorsed our campaign, along with more than a dozen labor unions and progressive organizations from NARAL to New York’s teachers, and more than 50 Democratic county chairs,” she writes.
Team Maloney insisted there’s growing buzz surrounding her candidacy since The News broke the story.
“We are excited by the great response Carolyn Maloney has received, particularly during the last two weeks with the news she was putting together a Senate campaign,” said Richard Fife, Maloney’s campaign manager.
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And Politico is reporting an influential endorsement:
It’s hard to envision a path for Maloney, given that Gilibrand has money, party support, incumbency, and an endorsement from Dr. Dean (which carries a lot of weight with some of us).
Even before Dr. Dean’s endorsement, I haven’t seen a compelling argument for Maloney over Gillibrand.
Well, but to be fair, I haven’t seen much in the way of compelling argument for Gilibrand. I’m not for her or against her– more, just a sense that six months in, I still don’t know much (anything, really) about her. I don’t feel she’s done a good job introducing herself. Also, I’m always a little suspicious of politicians who undergo major position changes– as she has, going from the House to the Senate.
I’m not a big supporter or anything yet, but let’s just say she hasn’t done anything to make me angry since joining the Senate and I don’t feel like using my personal resources to oppose her. I’ve got no problem with there being a primary, but I don’t see there being a lot of excitement around it at all.
[...] Gillibrand has a good fundraising quarter and out raises a potential opponent. Harry Ried endorses her [...]