WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Anthony Brindisi has built up a $1 million cash advantage over four Republican rivals seeking to challenge him in the 2020 election, his campaign disclosed Tuesday.
Brindisi, D-Utica, had almost $1.1 million cash on hand in his campaign account as of Sept. 30, according to a disclosure report his campaign plans to file today with the Federal Election Commission.
Brindisi will report raising $453,350 during the third quarter, outpacing four potential GOP opponents in the 22nd Congressional District.
The election for the House seat is expected to be one of the most expensive in the nation because the 22nd District has been targeted by Democrats and Republicans as a priority race in 2020.
Brindisi won the 2018 election against former Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, in one of the 10 most expensive and competitive House races in the nation.
All told, Brindisi, Tenney and independent political groups from outside of Upstate New York spent about $24 million on the election.
Tenney launched her bid to reclaim the House seat on Oct. 1, after the close of the quarter, and did not raise money before then, a campaign spokesman said.
Tenney had $48,294 remaining in her campaign bank account as of June 30, and listed $75,900 in remaining debts or loans to her campaign.
Three other Republicans are seeking the GOP nomination in the 22nd District.
Republican George Phillips, a high school history teacher from Endwell in Broome County, filed a report with the FEC showing he had $61,325 cash on hand as of Sept. 30.
Phillips reported raising $42,420 for the period from July 1 through Sept. 30, his second full quarter of fundraising since announcing his candidacy in March, FEC records show.
Broome County District Attorney Steve Cornwell, who entered the Republican primary race in July, raised $87,879 in the third quarter and had $65,942 cash on hand, according to his report to the FEC.
Cornwell’s fundraising total included a $30,000 personal loan to his campaign that he made on Sept. 30, the records show.
Franklin Sager, a high school math teacher from Port Crane in Broome County, started his GOP campaign in late May. He loaned his campaign $3,426 through June 30 and had no cash on hand, according to Federal Election Commission records.
Sager’s third quarter report had not yet been filed in advance of Tuesday’s midnight deadline.
The 22nd Congressional District covers all of Madison, Oneida, Cortland and Chenango counties and portions of Oswego, Broome, Herkimer, and Tioga counties.
Contact Mark Weiner: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751
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