Nunnelee wins quarterly funds race
Republican state Sen. Alan Nunnelee outraised Democratic 1st District Rep. Travis Childers in the second quarter of 2010, but still lags the incumbent in cash on hand after a three-way GOP primary, according to figures released Wednesday by the Federal Election Commission.
Nunnelee reported raising $312,000 in the second quarter of this year compared to $277,000 for Childers, who is seeking his first full term in Congress.
Childers, however, holds a strong lead over Nunnelee in cash on hand: $903,000 compared to about $233,000 for Nunnelee.
Childers reported raising $1.3 million so far in this election cycle.
Congressional fundraising reports were due to be filed with the FEC at midnight Wednesday.
Nunnelee, named by the National Republican Congressional Committee as one of its “Young Guns” candidates for Congress, said his quarterly fundraising gain over Childers could be attributed to voter discontent with the Democratic majority in the House.
“People are tired of (House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi and her Congress’ broken promises,” Nunnelee said in a statement.
“They’ve spent billions of our taxpayer dollars with promises of economic recovery. These promises have been broken at every turn.”
Nunnelee spent more than $600,000 during his Republican primary battle against former Fox news analyst Angela McGlowan of Oxford and former Eupora mayor Henry Ross, drawing down his cash on hand.
Childers, meanwhile, was unopposed in the Democratic primary and has been able to concentrate on fundraising and traveling the district in search of votes and endorsements.
He has earned endorsements from the National Rifle Association and National Right to Life.
“I’m pro-life, and I’m pro-gun,” Childers said in Hernando on June 21 when an NRA spokesman announced the organization’s endorsement.
Childers won a May 2008 special election to fill the 1st District House seat vacated when Gov. Haley Barbour named Rep. Roger Wicker to the Senate.
Wicker succeeded Sen. Trent Lott, a Republican who resigned to become a Washington lobbyist.
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