McBride raises $400K+ for Congress run in 5 days
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WILMINGTON – State Sen. Sarah McBride brought in more than $400,000 in campaign donations less than a week after announcing her run at Delaware’s lone U.S. House seat, a staggering sum for the small state.
McBride, who would be first transgender member of Congress if elected next year, raised $413,750 in the second quarter that ended June 30 – just five days after she publicly announced and legally filed her congressional campaign, according to a self-reported total. An official quarterly finance report has yet to be filed.
The fundraising total reportedly includes contributions from 540 Delaware donors from across the state, according to the McBride campaign, but it’s likely that much of the funding comes from national sources. McBride’s campaign has already been celebrated by national LGBTQ+ organizations and liberal causes such as End Citizens United, Equality PAC and the Human Rights Campaign.
The sum is more than current Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester raised in the entire first quarter of 2023 and would put her in the top 125 House candidates in terms of fundraising this year, according to federal records.
“I’m grateful for the overwhelming grassroots support we’ve received since launching this campaign last week, including from hundreds of Delawareans who know that I’ll be a voice in Congress to make government work better for all families,” McBride said in a statement announcing the fundraising total. “We know that this race isn’t just about making history. We’re focused on building a campaign that can win and I’m running as a proven leader who will deliver results and focus on the issues that really matter to Delawareans. Together, we’ll continue to prove that small states can do big things.”
McBride, who spent the majority of her first days in the race serving in the State Senate over the concluding days of the Delaware legislative session, now has more freedom to campaign. She recorded an interview on CNN this week with host Jake Tapper and has continued to rack up national news media attention, which will also likely improve her fundraising profile.
She is currently the only filed candidate in the race to replace Blunt Rochester, who has filed to run for retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Carper’s seat. The large fundraising haul, national attention and a slate of local endorsements topped by Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings, State Auditor Lydia York, and more than 20 elected state officials may help dissuade other Democrats from filing in the race that has drawn local attention.