 HD35, HD47: It's important to note as political junkies pick over yesterday's first quarter finance reports that a candidate's fundraising is only usefully compared to their direct opponents. Take Northern Virginia's two open-seat primaries. Five Democrats jumped into each of the two contests in Fairfax's 35th District and Arlington's 47th District. Granted, the 35th is only a Democrat-leaning seat in the general election, and hell will freeze over when Arlington elects a Republican.
Perhaps the five 47th District candidates should convoy out on I-66 (ask them about widening the highway if you want an earful) and raid Fairfax, where prospective candidates grab fistfuls of cash that fall off the palm trees. Mark Keam has managed to outraise, single-handedly, all five of them combined, and now holds a substantial lead in 35th District fundraisng. Keam is tapping heavily into the Korean-American and general Asian-American community, scoring checks from both inside the district and far-flung Asians like California Congressman Mike Honda. Roy Baldwin comes in second, with the help of $30,000 from the candidate and $4,000 from his law firm.
HD33: Leesburg Tomorrow reports that Mike Turner announced to the Loudoun County Democratic Committee that he has dropped his challenge against Delegate Joe May, citing poor fundraising and a desire to focus on the Wounded Warrior Project. May, a longtime incumbent currently sitting on about $50,000, would have been a favorite to win re-election. At this late phase, it's unlikely Democrats can put up a serious challenge.
We'll be sifting through the rest of yesterday's finance reports for any interesting shiny nuggets of information. Stay tuned. |
