Democratic candidate Gabrielle Giffords has nearly 50 percent more cash on hand than Republican rival Randy Graf heading into the final three-week stretch in the race for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District.
In the latest quarterly filings with the Federal Election Commission, Ms. Giffords reported having $376,645 in cash on hand as of Sept. 30, while Mr. Graf listed a cash-on-hand total of $254,685.
Two other candidates, Libertarian David Nolan and Jay Quick, an independent, were nonfactors in terms of finances raised for the Nov. 7 election. Southern Arizona voters will select a successor to retiring 11-term U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe.
The money remaining available for spending could be critical for last-minute ad buys, phone banks, direct mail and other get-out-the-vote efforts.
Ms. Giffords collected contributions totaling $632,625 between Aug. 24 and Sept. 30, bringing her campaign’s total non-loan contributions to $1,767,486. She reported operating expenditures for the same period of $594,106 and $1,390,099 since the campaign began.
Ms. Giffords stepped down as a first-term state senator late last year to run for Kolbe’s seat. She defeated five other Democrats in September’s primary.
Mr. Graf, a former state representative who lost a strong Republican primary challenge to Kolbe in 2004, showed total non-loan contributions for Aug. 24 to Sept. 30 of $289,840. That brought his campaign’s total contributions to $773,784 — less than half that raised by Ms. Giffords.
Ms. Graf’s reported operating expenditures were $117,290 between Aug. 24 and Sept. 30 and $532,337 for the entire campaign.
He defeated four other Republican candidates in last month’s primary, even though the National Republican Congressional Committee kicked in more than $122,000 for TV ads on behalf of another candidate who was considered more moderate.
About a week later, the committee canceled political advertising commitments on Mr. Graf’s behalf. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee followed suit.
Cracking down on illegal immigration has been the centerpiece of Mr. Graf’s campaign, and TV and radio spots aired on his behalf have attacked Ms. Giffords as a liberal out of touch with the district.
Ms. Giffords wants stiffer enforcement along the border but also backs comprehensive immigration reform endorsed by Republican Sen. John McCain and President Bush, including a guest worker program.
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