Candidates raise $1.4 million in campaign for 7th Congressional District

The three candidates vying for U.S. Rep. Dave Obey’s seat have raised almost $1.4 million to fund their campaigns.

State Sen. Julie Lassa, D-Stevens Point, announced Tuesday that she has raised about $313,000, the same day she became the lone Democrat seeking to fill Obey’s 7th Congressional District seat. Joe Reasbeck of Iron River said Tuesday he would exit the race, citing family issues.

Lassa will face the winner of the September Republican primary, either former Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy or Rudolph farmer Dan Mielke.

Matt Seaholm, Duffy’s campaign manager, said he expects his campaign to report raising $470,000 this quarter, bringing its cash total to about $670,000.

Seaholm said it was difficult to comment on Lassa’s fundraising totals without knowing how much money came from political committees.

Mielke, who says he thinks he has raised about $450,000 to date — about $300,000 was self-contributed — said money won’t be the main factor for most voters in this election.

“People are looking at what candidates believe and stand for,” he said. “The money you raise isn’t a barometer of your ability to win.”

More than 1,100 people with representatives from all 20 counties in the 7th Congressional District contributed to Lassa’s campaign, with an average contribution of less than $135, said Rick Fromberg, Lassa’s campaign manager.

Fromberg declined to break down how much of the total came from political action committees but said the “majority,” raised in six weeks, came from individual Wisconsin donors.

Nine people gave Lassa campaign contributions of $2,400, the maximum individual donors are allowed to give per candidate in an election cycle under federal campaign finance law.

“We’ve had terrific success online and believe we’ll be able to continue that grass-roots level,” Fromberg said.

–The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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