The seven House Republicans who voted last year to impeach former President Trump and are now seeking 2022 reelection are posting higher fundraising numbers than their primary opponents.
The three others who voted for impeachment are not seeking reelection.
The top fundraiser among the seven is Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney, who, despite placing herself at the center of Trump’s dartboard, begins 2022 with $5 million cash on hand in her bid for reelection.
Her opponent, the Trump-backed Harriet Hageman, has pulled in $1 million since announcing her bid five months ago, but she has not even one-tenth of the amount of cash on hand as Cheney, who has lost her post in GOP House leadership and been censured by her state Republican Party since her vote to impeach.
Last month, tech billionaire Peter Thiel hosted an exclusive fundraiser for the Hageman campaign that was attended by Donald Trump Jr. However, fundraising figures from the event have yet to be reported.
Trump recently endorsed state Rep. Russell Fry in his race against South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice.
Fry received blessings from Trump over conservative media personality Graham Allen, who has performed as the highest fundraiser in the field.
“I’m glad he’s chosen someone. All the pleading to Mar-a-Lago was getting a little embarrassing,” Rice quipped after the Fry endorsement. “I’m all about Trump’s policy. But absolute pledge of loyalty, to a man that is willing to sack the Capitol to keep his hold on power, is more than I can stomach.”
Joe Kent, who is running to replace Washington Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler in the state’s third Congressional District, is neck-and-neck with the incumbent congresswoman in fundraising totals. However, he has yet to pull ahead, despite a heightened national media profile in MAGA-forward circles.
Michigan Rep. Fred Upton has outraised his Trump-backed competitor by more than fivefold, though he has yet to confirm he will run again this cycle.
The New York Times reported that Upton said he viewed the fundraising gap as evidence of a “hunger for restoring civility and solving pressing problems.”
In some cases, primary fields have yet to be narrowed and candidates (even Trump-backed ones) are new to the races.
Long-serving incumbents like Cheney and Upton have the early advantage of name recognition. But the fundraising numbers are expected to tighten over the next few months, as second-tier candidates drop out.
Trump outraised the Republican National Committee in 2021, according to recent federal filings, but whether his fundraising prowess two years out of office is transferable to his endorsed candidates is an open question.
This article was originally published by Just the News. Read the original article.
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