Republican Curtis Bashaw, left, and Rep. Andy Kim (D-03) are competing this year for one of New Jersey’s Senate seats. (Bashaw photo courtesy of his campaign/Kim photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Rep. Andy Kim outraised his Republican opponent for U.S. Senate by a 2-to-1 margin in the third quarter, cementing his cash lead against hotelier Curtis Bashaw in New Jersey’s closely watched Senate race.
Kim (D-03), who is competing with Bashaw for former Sen. Bob Menendez’s seat, brought in nearly $2.4 million in contributions between July 1 and Sept. 30, according to newly released filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Bashaw, meanwhile, received $957,127 in contributions and loaned his campaign an additional $225,000. The personal loan brings the Republican’s personal investment in his campaign to just over $2 million.
Kim spent more as well, disbursing nearly $2.5 million to Bashaw’s $930,540 over the three-month period. The congressman’s spending advantage is steep, and his expenditures during the latest reporting period are only slightly lower than Bashaw’s over the entire cycle.
Excluding refunded contributions that are recorded as expenses on campaign filings, the Republican has spent roughly $2.5 million since launching his Senate campaign in January.
Kim went into the final weeks of the race with a steep cash advantage. The congressman reported nearly $4 million in reserves to Bashaw’s roughly $1.3 million.
Menendez opted against reelection and resigned from his Senate seat after his July conviction in federal court on charges that he accepted bribes and acted as a foreign agent. Gov. Phil Murphy appointed a former chief of staff, George Helmy, to fill the vacancy until after November’s election.
New Jersey Republicans have not won a contest for U.S. Senate in New Jersey since the state reelected Sen. Clifford Case in 1972.
The race has drawn relatively little outside spending, and virtually all of the contest’s independent expenditures have boosted Kim.
The Leadership with Integrity PAC, a super PAC, earlier in October reported putting $423,266 behind digital ads and mailers boosting Kim, according to FEC filings. The group, which has not spent funds to boost any other candidates, had roughly $500,000 left in reserves after the expenditure.
U.S. Senate candidates
Curtis Bashaw (R)
Rep. Andy Kim (D)
Kenneth Kaplan (Libertarian)
Christina Khalil (Green)
Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist)
Patricia Mooneyham (Vote Better)
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