Candidates for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District raised more than $1 million combined in Q2, outpacing the record amount of cash spent in the 2020 election.
In the competitive race for Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District, candidates nearly raised a combined $1.2 million in campaign funds in the second quarter, already outpacing the record amount of cash into the district in 2020.
Longtime Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, was outraised between April and July by Derrick Van Orden, R-Prairie du Chien, by around $350,000, though Kind has nearly $1.4 million in cash on hand for his re-election, according to the latest reports with the Federal Elections Commission released Friday.
Derrick Van Orden
The duo raised a record amount of nearly $5 million total for their 2020 campaigns, the largest influx of cash to the 3rd District in almost 20 years, according to The Badger Project.
Van Orden, who was one of Kind’s toughest opponents since taking office, raised $753,996 in quarter two. After officially launching his campaign in early April, he had only recorded $33 in the first quarter. He currently has just over $608,000 in cash on hand.
Kind raised $408,504 in the second quarter, but it’s a significant boost after raising $222,341 in the first quarter. Kind was first elected in 1996, and narrowly won re-election in 2020 against Van Orden by 3%.
Both candidates have already raised more than they had this time in their 2020 campaigns. In comparison, Kind had raised $245,159 by July 2019. Van Orden, who did not get into the race until 2020, raised $546,301 in his second quarter of fundraising.
Kind has already raised more than the total $517,648 he raised to win his first election in 1996.
Kind
The rematch is among the most watched as the Republican Party looks to take back control of the House, and campaigning is already in full swing despite the Nov. 8 election being more than a year away. No other candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for the race just yet.
The Tribune reached out to both campaigns for comments.
“By raising more money in a single quarter than Ron Kind has this year, our Team of Wisconsinites are sending this message loud and clear: “We are done with career politicians who are bought and paid for by the highest bidder,” Van Orden said.
“One look at Kind’s report and our’s shows you everything you need to know. 94% of our donations come from individuals and over 60% of Kind’s are from Special Interest Groups and Liberal DC allies desperate for him to keep his job as they know they own his vote.”
The Kind for Congress campaign said, “Wisconsinites already think that campaigns are too expensive and go on for too long—they want Ron focused on his job that they just re-elected him to do and that’s exactly what he’s doing. This week he is working to make sure Wisconsinites know about how the American Rescue Plan and the Child Tax Credit can help families and is meeting with the US Trade Ambassador in Cashton to discuss the issues facing hardworking family farmers.”
These latest campaign finance reports come just days after the Democratic Party of Wisconsin filed a complaint against Van Orden with the FEC, alleging he misused leftover cash from his last campaign to foot the travel bill when he was in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, where he attended the protest-turned insurrection.
Van Orden has denied the claims, and has stated he left the Capitol grounds once he realized a riot had broken out, though various reports analyzing social media posts from that day say he remained on the grounds during the attack.
Photos: Election Day 2020
The Orpheum Theatre serves as a polling location on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Young voters fill out their ballots at the Orpheum Theatre.
Voters cast ballots and election officials process absentee ballots at the polling place at the Orpheum Theatre on Tuesday.
Signs notify voters of the polling place at the Orpheum Theatre, on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
A voter leaves the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on the morning of Election Day.
Margaret Berg and her friend Katya Maes walk along North Shore Drive in Madison in United States Post Office box costumes. Berg made the costumes out of boxes from new patio heaters, and the two women walked around downtown Madison the morning of Election Day.
Voters fill in ballots behind privacy screens at the Olbrich Gardens polling place on Election Day in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Election officials Tom Otto and Alex Foote feed absentee ballots into the voting tabulator machine at the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on Election Day in Madison. Absentee ballots were delivered to each polling location, and election officials spent the day processing them.
One of Madison’s busiest polling places, O’Keeffe Middle School, had a slow stream of voters in and out of its doors on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020.
Election officials Jess Wilson and Jessie Chmell process absentee ballots at the the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place.
According to the Dane County Clerk, Olbrich Gardens is one of Madison’s busiest polling places.
Election official Sharon Lewandowski sanitizes a voting booth at the Olbrich Gardens polling place on Tuesday.
Voters wait in line and fill out ballots at Olbrich Gardens Tuesday morning.
Election Official Bonnie Buchanan sits at the voter registration table at Olbrich Gardens.
An election official wears disposable gloves to hold a stack of absentee ballots as she waits in line to put them into the voting machine at Olbrich Gardens on Tuesday morning.
Voters and election officials stream in and out of the commons at Olbrich Gardens Tuesday morning.
A voter fills in her ballot at the O’Keeffe Middle School polling place on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday.
An election official moves from one station to another to process absentee ballots while a voter fills in his ballot behind a privacy screen, at O’Keeffe Middle School Tuesday morning.
A voter fills out a ballot behind a privacy screen at O’Keeffe Middle School Tuesday morning.
Logan Millenbah holds a sign, directing voters to the Chazen Museum polling place on Election Day in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
A Prius with “Vote” written on the windows is parked outside of the Memorial Union at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which serves as a polling place on Election Day.
Signs direct voters to the polling place within the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union on Election Day.
Election Official Lindsey Weiss stands in line to process voters’ absentee ballots at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union polling place on Tuesday morning.
Voting booths are empty as election officials wait in line to process absentee ballots at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union Tuesday morning.
Hand sanitizer and “I voted” stickers are available for voters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Memorial Union polling place, on Election Day.
University of Wisconsin – Madison psychology major Madeline Wellman poses for a portrait with a #BadgersVote mask, outside of Smith Residence Hall on Election Day.
Election official Nate Stevens assists voter Joan Wheeler with curbside voting outside of the Faith Bible Community Church polling place on Election Day in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Election officials and University of Wisconsin-Madison Juniors Kisa Sow and Jordan Shapiro wait on the sidewalk of West Johnson Street for curbside voters, as a person sleeps on a doorstep behind them, on Election Day in Madison.
A cyclist rides past the Orpheum Theatre polling place on Election Day.
Robert Crisler stands on the side of Dayton Street, holding a sign directing voters to the poling place at Nicholas Recreation Center, at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, on Tuesday afternoon.
Londyn and Lily sit in the back of a mini van as a small crowd gathers in the plaza at the corner of North Carroll and State streets in support of the anti-racism movement, on Election Night in Madison, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
As a small crowd gathers near the Capitol, Jalynn Hoffer (3) peeks through an opening in the art installment the evening of election night.
Londyn and Lily play in the plaza at the corner of North Carroll and State streets as a small crowd gathers in support of the anti-racism movement, on election night in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The marquee at the Orpheum Theatre reads “Vote out voter suppression,” on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Scott Ball uses a flashlight to see the carne asada steak on his grill, during an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison, on Tuesday night.
Frances Ball, 9, plays a glowing stacking game in the rooftop tent of a camper, while the election news is projected on a screen below her, at an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison Tuesday night.
Neighbors gather for an outdoor election results party in the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood of Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Frances Ball, 9, and Anna King, 9, sit on a blanket and watch the election news at an outdoor election results block party.
Annie Kubena and her dog Vinnie settle in for a long night of watching election news, at their home in Madison, on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Gary Olson and Tony Cass watch election coverage on televisions at Wilson’s Bar in Madison on election night.
Sports and election coverage are shown on televisions at Wilson’s Bar in Madison on Tuesday night.
