VESTAVIA HILLS, Ala. – Republican 6th Congressional District candidate Will Brooke will report having raised $421,343 in the first quarter of 2014 when campaign finance disclosures are officially released tomorrow. The campaign has raised nearly $740,000 to date, and has $467,937.43 cash-on-hand heading into the second quarter of the year.
“First, I want to thank all of our contributors and am happy to report that we have had a successful first quarter,” Brooke said. “The people who have contributed to my campaign recognize that I will bring conservative change to Washington DC, based in faith and principle, not politics.”
To date, over 600 individuals have contributed to Brooke’s campaign. Contributions have ranged from $5 to the maximum individual limit of $2,600, and in-state contributions have accounted for nearly 98 percent of the total received to date. Of the contributions Brooke has received, over 99 percent are for the primary election. The campaign’s release did not indicate whether there was a candidate loan involved.
Brooke is a co-founder and long time executive of Harbert Management Corporation, and his experience creating jobs has been the primary thrust of his campaign to this point.
Only one other 6th Congressional district campaign has announced their first quarter fundraising haul to this point. Rep. Paul DeMarco raised $484,000 in the first quarter of 2014, making his total contributions to date more than $850,000. The campaign expects to report about $650,000 cash-on-hand at the close of the reporting period. The filing deadline is midnight Tuesday, April 15.
Those numbers put Brooke and DeMarco in a dead heat when it comes to fundraising. Although DeMarco is reporting more total dollars raised, his campaign spokesperson estimated “roughly 90 percent” was spendable in the primary, whereas 99 percent of Brooke’s money can be used in that same period.
Here’s how the math breaks down:
DeMarco raised – $850,000
Percent for Primary — (approx.) 90%
Money available for the primary — (approx.) $765,000
Brooke Raised -- $740,000
Percent for Primary — (approx.) 99%
Money available for Primary — (approx.) $732,600
The 6th District race is shaping up to be one of the most expensive Congressional primaries in the country.
Below is a picture of where things stood at the end of 2013. Bear in mind, these totals include loans that some candidates gave to their own campaign. But hey, it’s all spendable. The upcoming reports will undoubtedly help separate the candidates who are tapped out from the ones who have deeper financial support. Brooke and DeMarco are setting the bar pretty high.
Ranked by amount raised as of Dec. 31 (h/t AL.com):
• Chad Mathis raised $373,000 and ended the year with $305,000 cash-on-hand.
• Paul DeMarco raised $367,000 and ended the year with $352,000 cash-on-hand.
• Will Brooke raised $318,000 and ended the year with $269,000 cash-on-hand.
• Gary Palmer raised $256,000 in 2013 and ended the year with $250,000 cash-on-hand.
• Scott Beason ended the year with $2,100 cash-on-hand.
• Robert Shattuck did not file a report.
• Tom Vigneulle did not enter the race until January, so he didn’t have a 2013 report.
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