Schatz Shows Fundraising Prowess
Hawaii’s senior U.S. senator has a lot of money in the bank, yet he doesn’t face much of a challenge in the 2016 election.
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz keeps stuffing large wads of cash into his campaign piggy bank despite the fact he doesn’t face a serious challenger in 2016.
According to the Federal Election Commission, Schatz raised $423,605 in political contributions from April 1 to June 30.
While that’s his second lowest haul in a given quarter since the start of 2015, he still has more than $3 million in cash on hand.
Schatz reports that he has been spending more money, however, dropping $364,869 on various campaign expenses, such as advertising, catering and consulting.
| FEC Report | Total Receipts | Total Disbursements | Cash on Hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2016 | $435,527 | $364,869 | $3,074,380 |
| April 2016 | $511,693 | $110,127 | $3,003,722 |
| January 2016 | $397,370 | $130,521 | $2,602,155 |
| October 2015 | $507,160 | $177,159 | $2,335,306 |
| July 2015 | $663,682 | $206,422 | $2,005,305 |
| April 2015 | $800,638 | $206,470 | $1,548,045 |
U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono’s campaign spending reports from the last quarter had yet to be posted on the FEC website Wednesday.
As of her last filing, which goes through March 31, she had $496,015 in her campaign coffers.
The only member of Hawaii’s federal delegation who can compete with Schatz in terms of fundraising is U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.
According to the FCC, Gabbard raised $420,596 from April 1 to June 30. That’s nearly $200,000 more than any other quarter in the current two-year cycle.
Gabbard has nearly $1.9 million on hand, which is second only to Schatz.
