Campaign Almanac: Mike Franken fares well, but Chuck Grassley maintains fundraising advantage

Mike Franken posted strong fundraising numbers over the course of the end of the primary election campaign and start of the general election.

However, the Democratic challenger still faces an uphill fundraising climb against longtime Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley in Iowa’s U.S. Senate campaign.

Franken, a retired U.S. Navy admiral from Sioux City, raised nearly $1.8 million in the most recent federal reporting period, which covered the six weeks spanning May 19 through June 30.

Iowa’s primary election was June 7.

Grassley, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 1981, raised just more than $800,000 over the same six weeks.

But at the period’s close, Grassley had more than $4 million in his campaign account, while Franken had just a little more than $1.1 million.

Part of that advantage stems from Grassley’s ongoing war chest as an incumbent, and because he faced only a token challenge in the Republican primary.

Franken used most of his primary season fundraising to aid his victory in a competitive Democratic primary.

Franken’s campaign in a news release celebrated the latest fundraising numbers, and highlighted that Franken has raised more than $4.2 million this calendar year.

“It’s clear Iowans have had enough of Sen. Grassley’s failed leadership and lack of results,” Franken campaign manager Julie Stauch said in the news release.

Grassley’s campaign stressed the overall fundraising numbers, including Grassley’s advantage at the end of the reporting period.

“No matter how much money Franken raises from liberal out-of-state donors, Sen. Grassley will be re-elected to the U.S. Senate to continue his work for Iowans,” Grassley campaign communications director Michaela Sundermann said in a news release.

“He has an unmatched record of achievements for Iowa and works harder than anyone to earn Iowans’ trust by listening and representing their views and values in the U.S. Senate.”

HINSON FUNDRAISING: U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, raised more than $1 million during the recent three-month federal reporting period, her campaign said.

Hinson ended the period, which closed June 30, with more than $2 million in her campaign account, her campaign said.

Hinson, is running for re-election in Eastern Iowa’s new 2nd Congressional District against Democratic challenger Liz Mathis, a Democrat and state senator from Hiawatha.

“Iowans are fed up with higher prices at the pump and grocery store, open borders and wasteful spending,” Hinson said in a campaign news release.

“Iowans will reject my liberal opponent and the radical Biden-Pelosi agenda she stands for at the ballot box. I will continue fighting the chaos and dysfunction in D.C. with Iowa common sense and delivering results so that we can win in November and get our country back on track.”

REPUBLICANS LEAD IN IOWA POLL: They’re both in front, but Gov. Kim Reynolds is enjoying the size of lead to which Sen. Chuck Grassley is more accustomed.

Grassley and Reynolds are leading their respective re-election campaigns, according to the latest Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll results, which were published over the weekend.

In the campaign for Iowa governor, Reynolds, a Republican, leads Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear by 17 points, according to the poll. Reynolds was the choice of 48 percent of poll respondents; DeJear was chosen by 31 percent.

That’s the kind of margin typically enjoyed by Grassley, but he leads by just 8 percentage points in Iowa’s U.S. Senate campaign, according to the poll. Grassley was the choice of 47 percent of poll respondents, while 39 percent chose Democratic challenger Mike Franken.

The poll surveyed 597 likely Iowa voters from July 10 to July 13. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

ANOTHER REPUBLICAN ENDORSES KINNEY: The Republican mayor of Solon is the fourth Republican to endorse Democratic Iowa Sen. Kevin Kinney for re-election, Kinney’s campaign announced.

Steve Stange has been Solon’s mayor since 2014, and before that served on the City Council since 2006, according to the Kinney campaign.

Kinney, a Democrat from Oxford, is running for re-election against Sen. Dawn Driscoll, a Republican from Williamsburg. The two are running in the same district after the decennial redrawing of Iowa’s political boundaries.

“I trust Sen. Kinney to do what is right — not just what is popular,” Strange said in a news release from Kinney’s campaign.

“He looks out for his constituents and doesn’t play partisan games. As a mayor, my No. 1 priority is public safety, and Sen. Kinney has always been committed to reducing crime and making our communities as safe as possible.

“On top of that, Kevin is a friend, and I urge my fellow Republicans to join me in supporting him in the upcoming election.”

Gazette Des Moines Bureau