Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) outraised challenger Robert C. White Jr. in February and early March as she seeks a third term as D.C. mayor. And with three months to go until the June primary and just weeks left to qualify for the ballot, it was not clear how much the other council member challenging the mayor, Trayon White Sr., raised because he did not submit an on-time campaign finance report.
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Bowser reported more than $182,000 in contributions from individual donors from Feb. 1 to March 10, while council member Robert White (D-At Large) reported more than $56,000 in contributions for his mayoral bid. After including funds from the city’s public campaign financing program, which multiplies donor dollars, Bowser also has significantly more cash on hand going into the final months of the primary campaign — more than $2.7 million compared to Robert White’s $816,737 — while White spent more than twice as much as the mayor out of his campaign chest in February and early March, trying to spark his bid.
Bowser touted her fundraising lead on Twitter, trumpeting her “grassroots campaign.” Robert White also put a positive spin on his numbers, noting that he had more individual contributions from D.C. residents than the last report at the end of January — in which he outraised the mayor’s donor contributions by $3,268. “I’ve been in races where I’ve been outraised before and I’ve won because no amount of money can beat a movement of people demanding new leadership. This campaign is exceeding our own financial goals on every report and is on track to win in June,” White wrote in an emailed statement.
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As reports due on Thursday evening continued to appear on the Office of Campaign Finance’s website on Friday, Trayon White (D-Ward 8) had yet to provide one as he continues his bid for mayor. The last report showed Trayon White far behind Bowser and Robert White, with $4,479 on hand as of Jan. 31. Trayon White did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Washington Post polling showed in February that Bowser holds a strong lead in the mayoral race, with 47 percent of registered Democrats saying they currently plan to vote for her for a third term, compared to 19 percent supporting Robert White and 17 percent supporting Trayon White.
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Thursday’s filing deadline for campaign contribution reports painted a picture of many of the competitive elections in June. In her bid to unseat Council chairman Phil Mendelson (D), advisory neighborhood commissioner Erin Palmer raised just over $10,000 during the reporting period, while Mendelson, who is not accepting public funding and thus has a much higher limit on individual contributions, took in more than $85,000 from individuals during the same time.
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Palmer’s contributions will be multiplied five-to-one by the city. By choosing not to receive public matching funds, Mendelson is also allowed to solicit corporate donations. He raised almost $12,000 from companies and corporate and labor-sponsored PACs.
The candidates in the citywide race for attorney general are spending comparably to those in the mayor’s race. Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D) took in more than $40,000 from individual donors and spent more than $98,000 as he seeks to succeed outgoing attorney general Karl A. Racine (D), outpacing the mayoral candidates in February and March spending.
Attorney Brian Schwalb — who was endorsed Thursday by Racine — took in more than $52,000, with more than half of his contributions coming from people outside the District, and spent more than $60,000. Both Schwalb and McDuffie are participating in the public campaign financing program. That leaves both with cash on hand — Schwalb with more than $119,000, and McDuffie with more than $744,000 to spend before the June 21 primary.
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Attorney Bruce Spiva, who is not participating in the public campaign financing program, collected far more during the period: more than $143,000, all but $1,000 of it from individuals rather than companies. Many gave Spiva the maximum contribution of $1,500. Schwalb and McDuffie are limited to contributions of no more than $200 to receive the public matching funds.
Ryan Jones, who is also running for attorney general, had not filed his report as of early afternoon Friday.
Several more candidates failed to file their reports on time, including council member Anita Bonds (D) and some of the people running against her for her at-large seat on the council.
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Among those who filed in the crowded Ward 5 council race, State Board of Education president Zachary Parker led the pack in individual contributions during the reporting period, taking in $8,461 from donors. Others using public financing include former Bowser appointee Faith Gibson Hubbard, who raised $7,775; Ward 5 Democrats chair Gordon-Andrew Fletcher, who raised $6,469; and former council member Vincent B. Orange, who raised $3,710. Lauren Rogers raised $970, including $500 from the Stage Hand Union.
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Taking into account public matching funds, which all but Rogers are accepting, Gibson Hubbard spent the most during the period and Parker has the most cash on hand.
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In Ward 3, most candidates declared their intention to run in February after incumbent Mary M. Cheh (D) dropped out of the race and had little time to set up a campaign and start drumming up donations. Still, several in the wealthy ward outpaced the Ward 5 candidates.
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The fundraising leader in the ward was local activist Matthew Frumin, who collected more than $18,000 in a month. Ward 3 Democrats chair Phil Thomas and advisory neighborhood commissioner Ben Bergmann each raised more than $10,000 (including more than $2,000 that Bergmann’s own family contributed), and Palisades community leader Patricia Duncan followed close behind.
The next campaign finance filing required of all candidates is due on June 10, shortly before the primary. Those receiving public financing must also file reports in April and May.