A local congressional race shapes up as one of the hottest in the country and the money pouring into the campaigns shows it.
In the 8th Congressional District race, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, the Democrat, and Rob Bresnahan, his Republican challenger, raised more than $2.8 million from April 4 to June 30, the latest reporting period, according to federal campaign finance reports.
By comparison, in his first tough race, in 2018, Cartwright and Republican John Chrin spent only $2 million more on the whole race.
King’s College political science professor David Sosar said Republicans see this election as their best chance to knock off Cartwright, now in his 12th year in Congress.
“Well, I think the last two attempts, they weren't really close,” Sosar said. “But I think they see in this election … the atmosphere that you see in the country, that everybody's vulnerable … And so, the more money that you can get the better.”
Cartwright raised almost $1.7 million in the latest reporting period — more than any other Pennsylvania congressional candidate — and ended the quarter with more than $4.5 million cash left. That’s almost $2 million more cash left than the congressman had at the same time two years ago. He beat Republican Jim Bognet in that race.
Since Jan. 1, 2023, the start of the latest fundraising cycle, Cartwright has raised $5,655,991.26, according to federal election records.
Bresnahan is doing a lot better raising money than Bognet.
He raised more than $1.1 million in the latest period and had more than $1.2 million left, more than twice as much as Bognet in 2022, but still less than a third of Cartwright’s haul.
Since he officially entered the race last October, Bresnahan has raised $2,561,590.95. Bognet raised $2,976,738 for the entire 2022 race.
Bresnahan has already had House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and Utah Rep. Burgess Owens visit Luzerne County to campaign for him.
Cartwright hasn’t had top party officials campaign for him and usually hasn’t in past campaigns.
Sosar thinks President Joe Biden may have trouble winning Pennsylvania, but Cartwright has proven himself tough to defeat.
“And while a lot of people may be jumping off ... the Biden ship, there’s still an awful lot of cross voting. And I think Matt Cartwright is still relatively safe,” he said.
Bresnahan’s fundraising deficit may not matter much.
Outside groups plan to pour in millions of dollars more backing both candidates. That will mean lots of TV commercials in the next few months attacking and backing both candidates.
Three Washington, D.C.-area based House race forecasters predict a tight race. Inside Elections has the race as tilting Democratic, but Sabato's Crystal Ball and the Cook Political Report say it's a toss-up.
The 8th District includes all of Lackawanna, Pike and Wayne counties, roughly the eastern half of Luzerne, including Wilkes-Barre, Pittston and Hazleton, and all of Monroe County, except for Polk and Eldred townships and part of Ross Twp.
