Joe Kent

The race for Southwest Washington’s seat in Congress is in its final weeks now, and it’s the incumbent who holds a considerable cash advantage over her opponent.

According to quarterly campaign filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission last week, the campaign for U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Skamania) raised $3.22 million from July through September and entered October with $1.28 million cash on hand.

The campaign of her general election opponent, Joe Kent, a Republican from Clark County, reported bringing in almost $890,000 over the same three-month period and entered this month with $513,000 in its coffers. The bulk of Kent’s haul came via a $603,000 transfer from Joe Kent Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between his campaign, the Washington State Republican Party and Kent’s leadership PAC, Keep Electing New Talent.

Kent’s joint fundraising committee as a whole raised nearly $970,000 last quarter, with the remainder going toward campaign expenses or being distributed to his leadership PAC and the state party.

The race is one of the most hotly contested in the country, and national Republicans have targeted the seat as a prime pick-up opportunity in their bid to retain their narrow majority in the lower chamber. House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, both of Louisiana, are making the trek to the Vancouver area this Thursday to fundraise for Kent, while the National Republican Congressional Committee and other outside groups have committed $3.95 million to the contest — mostly going toward TV advertising.

But Democrats are not letting the seat change hands without a fight. In addition to the millions that Perez’s own campaign has already spent on television, digital and mail advertising in recent months, outside groups are spending big to try and keep her in Congress. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has committed $3.74 million to support Perez thus far, while others have combined for an additional $3.73 million.

Other notes

Of the roughly $3.2 million that Perez’s campaign reported raising last quarter, more than $2.7 million — about 85% — came from individual contributions, with the remainder coming from PACs and transfers via joint fundraising committees. Of the more than $10 million that the campaign has raised in total since the beginning of 2023, about $7.9 million has come from individuals.

The campaign received $311,000 from PACs last quarter connected to unions, trade associations, professional organizations and advocacy groups, as well as fellow elected Democrats.

The campaign committees or leadership PACs associated with more than 110 of Perez’s colleagues in the House have donated to her campaign over the past two years, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin, Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego and South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. She has also received contributions from PACs associated with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker.

Unions that donated to Perez’s campaign include the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, National Association of Letter Carriers, Air Line Pilots Association, and Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, among others. Trade and professional associations that contributed to the campaign include the American Council of Engineering Companies, National Restaurant Association, Independent Community Bankers of America, Associated General Contractors of America, and American Nurses Association.

Kent’s campaign and his joint fundraising committee have received contributions from committees and leadership PACs associated with 28 members of the House Republican Conference the past two years, including Johnson, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, Texas Rep. Chip Roy, Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar and Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer. He has also received donations from PACs associated with former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Florida Rep. Allen West.