Kratovil, Harris await conclusion of 2Q Fundraising

Believe it or not, the last day of the first half of the year is only two weeks away. In this immensely exciting campaign year, we now stand only 140 days away from Election Day. The close of June signifies the end of the second financial quarter, and the fundraising totals in Maryland's 1st Congressional District are vital to the hopes of State's Attorney Frank Kratovil (D-Stevensville) and state Sen. Andy Harris (R-Cockeysville).

In the first quarter of the year Harris raised $401,168.22 and had $205,688 cash on hand, while Kratovil raised $189,713.87 and had $182,058 cash on hand. Those figures were slightly skewed because of a $20,000 loan that Harris provided to his campaign fund. Harris was forced to spend significantly more than Kratovil in the final weeks of his successful primary, which led to the similar cash on hand figure.

Recently, Kratovil told PolitickerMD.com that his campaign would make "no projections" as to their second quarter fundraising abilities, saying, "We'll raise enough to be competitive."

In recent weeks, the state's attorney has been pointing to an internal poll conducted by the Garin-Hart-Yang Research Group, hoping that it will boost financial support in the closing weeks of the quarter.

That poll, conducted in late April and released May 23, showed Harris with a nine point lead overall, but gave Kratovil the advantage among the 25 percent of respondents who could name the candidates, 45-38 percent.

Earlier this month, speaking of the poll results, Kratovil said in a statement, "I think this is very exciting news, and shows that as voters become more aware of the candidates in this race, we will continue to solidify our lead."

A poll released in February, commissioned by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), showed Harris with a 15-point lead in a head-to-head match-up against Kratovil.

"I have been saying for months that we need a real change not only in the way we approach the issues, but in the way we conduct our politics, and I am very encouraged to see that this message of positive change is resonating strongly with the voters of my district," Kratovil said of the recent poll.

"I expect this to be a very high profile race, and a very public debate on issues critical to Maryland voters," he added. "We are very excited to discover that as this race progresses and people begin to focus on the issues, this poll has shown that our position will only strengthen."

Meanwhile, the Harris campaign remains confident in their ability to fundraise.

Speaking last month with PolitickerMD.com, Harris spoke of his prospects for the second quarter, saying, "We've consistently been able to raise between 3 and $400,000 per quarter."

"I am confident that we will be able to maintain that through November," he added.

His campaign team also dismissed the importance of the latest poll, with Campaign Manager Chris Meekins telling PolitickerMD.com that "internal polls can be skewed one way or the other."

Fundraising last week before the Harford County Conservative Business Caucus, Harris pulled in an estimated 40-$50,000, while Kratovil took home close to $20,000 at a fundraiser last month in Chestertown.

While Harris may be courting the business community for financial support, the Kratovil camp seems to be looking to a new crop of political donors.

"It wasn't the usual crowd that I see at a political fundraiser," Kratovil Campaign Manager Steve Meehan said of the Chestertown fundraiser. "There were a lot of people there who were looking to become further involved in the political process."

With the close of the second quarter just around the corner, and the election only four and a half months away, both candidates will look for a big finish to the month.

Only 140 days to go.