Cravaack raises $206,000 in third quarter
WASHINGTON - Freshman Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack raised $206,000 for his re-election campaign last quarter and now has just over $382,000 cash on hand, Cravaack's campaign reported Friday.
That's less than Cravaack's $224,000 haul last quarter (although summer can be a quiet time for fundraising) and less than than one of the DFLers who hopes to replace him, Tarryl Clark. Her campaign reported raising $228,000 this week and now has $235,000 in the bank.
Cravaack's district has traditionally been a DFL stronghold until he knocked off longtime incumbent Jim Oberstar in a surprise upset last year. Four DFL candidates, including Clark, former Congressman Rick Nolan, Duluth city council member Jeff Anderson and former Al Franken staffer Daniel Fanning, are all vying for the opportunity to run against Cravaack in next year's general election.
Cravaack is seen as especially vulnerable after his family moved to New Hampshire over the summer while Cravaack maintains a house in the district and completes a three-legged commute between Washington, Minnesota and New Hampshire every week.
Echoing the likely themes of Cravaack's re-election campaign, a statement from the campaign said: "While the liberal special interest groups in Washington will continue to target Chip -- Chip's primary focus will continue to be working to improve the economy and returning jobs to the 8th Congressional District."
Cravaack's relatively modest fundraising total comes despite some heavy-duty help that's come his way. Former U.S. Senator Norm Coleman held a fundraising event with Cravaack in September. Cravaack was also listed as a co-sponsor for a high-dollar fundraiser with House Speaker John Boehner over the summer.
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