For the third quarter in a row, Democrat Carolyn Long has outraised Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, in their bids to be Southwest Washington’s voice in Congress.
Herrera Beutler, who is vying for her sixth term, still has more money in the bank overall.
Wednesday was the deadline for federal office campaigns to report quarterly fundraising numbers to the Federal Election Commission.
Long and Herrera Beutler are headed for a November rematch of their 2018 contest. Herrera Beutler has represented Washington’s 3rd District, spanning seven counties along the Washington-Oregon border, since 2010.
Democrat Carolyn Long, left, and U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler met at a Sept. 18, 2018 debate in Woodland, Washington.
Molly Solomon / OPB
Long raised $538,375 over the past three months, compared with Herrera Beutler’s $435,615. Dating back to October, Long has raised a total of $1.6 million to Herrera Beutler’s $1.3 million.
However, Herrera Beutler holds an advantage in overall funds. The incumbent had a six-month head start in fundraising, helping her raise close to $2 million in her campaign since last year. She still has more cash-on-hand, too: $1.3 million to Long’s $1.1 million.
“We’ve been able to gather enough support from these folks to maintain our overall cash-on-hand advantage in this race which tells me that we’ll have the resources we’ll need to run a successful campaign this fall,” Herrera Beutler said in an email.
Long’s recent gains paint a similar picture, said Abby Olmstead, Long’s campaign manager. She pointed to the 14,200 total contributions made to the campaign.
“I think it shows that the people of Southwest Washington are really committed to bringing a new leader to Congress and that Carolyn is that leader for them,” Olmstead said.
Both say the novel coronavirus has altered the campaign landscape. Herrera Beutler canceled at least one event as social distancing measures went into place. She said she’s spending her time off the campaign trail calling hospitals to talk supplies.
Long is likewise changing her plans. She is still having coffees and beers with her supporters, Olmstead said, but it is happening virtually.
“While we aren’t necessarily in the living room, we’ll be in the computer room or on the phone. We’re just making sure folks have the resources they need in order to weather this pandemic,” she said.
