Written by Emilie Munson in the Times Union on April 15, 2020
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik raised $1.5 million in campaign donations in the first three months of 2020, following a record-breaking previous quarter in which she capitalized on her high-profile role during the impeachment inquiry.
The Schuylerville Republican has $4 million on hand for her re-election campaign against Democrat Tedra Cobb, according to Federal Election Commission data released Wednesday.
Cobb raised a formidable $2 million in the previous quarter as cash poured into the North Country congressional race. A spokesperson for Cobb said their campaign was not sharing their numbers at this time, and they were not yet available on the FEC database Wednesday.
In late January, Stefanik was tapped to be part of President Donald J. Trump’s impeachment defense team, a role that extended the national attention Stefanik won during the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment hearings. As part of the defense team, Stefanik gave many national television interviews to defend the president and coordinated directly with the White House.
Stefanik raised over $3.2 million at the end of 2019, while the House impeachment hearings were underway.
Although her subsequent three-month haul was less than half that, it still outstripped the fundraising of most House lawmakers. By comparison, mega-fundraiser Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-Bronx, raised $2.7 million in the same period; Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who represents the neighboring district to Stefanik’s, raised $123,777; and Rep. Antonio Delgado, D-Rhinebeck, raised $761,794.
Quarter one closed at the end of March, the start of the coronavirus pandemic, including some and the resulting state stay-at-home orders and business closures. The impact of the pandemic on political fundraising is likely to be more strongly felt in the current quarter, which runs through June.
“The Elise for Congress campaign continues to work tirelessly to serve North Country constituents during this unprecedented coronavirus crisis,” Stefanik said in a statement. “I am humbled by the overwhelming support from my constituents during this difficult time. I’m grateful for each and every contribution to my campaign, especially in light of this public health crisis.”
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