Senate race brings in millions, congressional incumbents maintain hefty cash leads

Nevada’s congressional incumbents led their respective fields in fundraising during the first quarter of a contentious midterm election year, even as several Republican challengers made major strides in the money races.

Sitting atop the group was Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), who raised a Nevada first quarter record $4.4 million from January 1 through March 31. But the vulnerable Senate Democrat faces two Republican challengers who each raised more than a million dollars during the quarter.

The latest campaign finance reports, filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) earlier this week, provided the first look at how Nevada’s federal delegates are faring against their finalized slate of competitors, since the candidate filing period concluded in mid-March.

Candidates for statewide, legislative and local government positions also submitted their campaign finance reports with the Nevada secretary of state on the same timeline. 

Below, we explore the latest fundraising and spending data, which gives an overview of who is in the strongest financial position ahead of the June primary.

Senate

Catherine Cortez Masto (D-incumbent)

Cortez Masto continued to stretch a fundraising lead over the field of possible Republican opponents in the first quarter, banking $4.4 million, spending more than $3.8 million, and entering the second quarter with nearly $11.1 million cash on hand. 

Most of the senator’s fundraising, nearly $4.1 million, came from individual contributions, with an additional $310,000 stemming from political action committee (PAC) contributions. 

Cortez Masto also spent massive chunks of money on advertising for the first time this cycle, including more than $1 million on a March television ad blitz, and more than $1.1 million more on list acquisitions — information and email addresses of donors or supporters to a certain campaign. 

Adam Laxalt (R)

Among Republicans, the former attorney general opened up a fundraising lead with a haul of more than $1.6 million, a slight increase from the average $1.38 million he raised through the last two quarters of 2021, but still far short of the incumbent Cortez Masto. 

Laxalt also spent just over $1 million, and entered the final weeks of the primary campaign with $2.2 million cash on hand. 

Laxalt spent comparatively less on advertising this quarter than his rivals, with the largest expenses coming from a “media advertising” buy in February that combined for $115,000 and another $44,000 spread across two digital ad campaigns in January and March. 

Most of Laxalt’s fundraising, roughly $1.5 million, came from individual contributions, while another $78,000 came from PACs. 

Sam Brown (R)

The Republican veteran and businessman reported a third-straight quarter of seven-figure fundraising with more than $1.1 million raised, $1.2 million spent and nearly $680,000 left in cash on hand. 

Brown likewise ramped up advertising spending in the first quarter, including dropping more than $158,000 combined on seven advertising expenses between January and March, another $44,000 on radio advertising and $8,000 on several digital campaigns.

Others

Two additional Republican candidates have also raised into the five- and six-figure dollar amounts, but they still lag far behind the two leaders — Laxalt and Brown. 

That includes health care executive Bill Hockstedler, who reported raising nearly $112,000 (virtually all loans from himself), spending $6,000, and has $116,000 on hand; and former pageant winner Sharelle Mendenhall — who raised close to $20,000, spent nearly $25,000 and has roughly $5,000 on hand. 

District 1

Dina Titus (D-incumbent)

Titus reported raising more than $360,000 in the first three months of 2022 — nearly $90,000 more than she brought in during the fourth quarter of 2021 — as she faces a primary from the left in a district that has become more competitive.

In the first quarter, she spent $78,000. Her largest expenses include roughly $17,000 on polling services and $12,000 on fundraising consulting. Titus was left with $1.12 million cash on hand. 

Amy Vilela (D)

Amy Vilela, a progressive Democrat who identifies with the Bernie Sanders movement, raised 

Nearly $112,000 in the first quarter.

Vilela reported spending about $101,000, which is about 90 percent of what she raised during the fundraising period. Vilela is left with nearly $47,000 cash on hand. 

Mark Robertson (R)

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Mark Robertson raised more than $176,000 in the first quarter, including a nearly $60,000 loan to himself. 

Robertson reported spending $112,000 in the first three months of 2022, including about $41,000 in printing services and $2,500 in advertising aimed at the Hispanic community. He has slightly more than $236,000 cash on hand. 

Carolina Serrano (R)

Former Latinos for Trump leader Carolina Serrano raised nearly $283,000 during the first quarter, all from individual contributors. 

Serrano spent a little more than $78,000 from January through March, including roughly $23,000 with Targeted Victory, a campaign text messaging service. She was left with nearly $262,000 cash on hand.

David Brog (R)

Conservative activist David Brog raised $284,000 in the six weeks after announcing his bid for candidacy in mid-February, including a $50,000 loan from himself. Among the contributors, about 18 gave the maximum amount of $2,900. 

Brog spent almost $21,000, including more than $5,000 on mail advertising. He is left with nearly $263,600 cash on hand.

District 2

Mark Amodei (R-incumbent)

Rep. Mark Amodei raised over $152,000 in the first quarter of 2022 — nearly $52,000 more than he raised last quarter — as he faces a primary from the right in a safely Republican district. 

Amodei spent nearly $74,000, including $1,200 for bobbleheads as campaign materials and $1,600 on custom printed hats. He is left with almost $482,000 cash on hand.

Danny Tarkanian (R)

Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian, son of legendary UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian, announced his candidacy on the final day of filing last month, which gave him just two weeks to fundraise. He raised nearly $132,000, including just shy of $39,000 that he loaned himself. 

He spent a little more than $45,000, of which $36,000 went to political consulting. He has roughly $86,000 cash on hand.

District 3

Susie Lee (D-incumbent)

Though Lee recorded a downturn in fundraising during the first quarter, the incumbent still maintained a strong fundraising lead in the race for her vulnerable District 3 seat.

From January through March, Lee raised more than $576,000 and boosted her campaign war chest to more than $2.1 million.

Lee reported spending nearly $236,000 in the first quarter, including nearly $40,000 on marketing through D.C.-based firm Break Something.

Randell Hynes (D)

Lee’s single primary challenger, Hynesdid not file a standard quarterly report with the FEC, but instead filed a fundraising report with the secretary of state’s office, which is the wrong venue for candidates for federal office. 

The Army veteran and software developer reported $3,725 in fundraising entirely through a personal loan to his campaign, and just $10 more than that in spending, ending the quarter with $0 in his campaign account.

April Becker (R)

A real estate attorney who narrowly lost a state Senate bid in 2020, Becker continued to sit atop the Republican field in fundraising during the first quarter, bringing in more than $205,000 and raising her cash on hand to nearly $450,000.

That fundraising included close to $37,000 from Becker herself.

Becker spent about $136,000 during the quarter, including nearly $19,000 on digital advertising through Virginia-based firm Connell Donatelli, Inc. and more than $25,000 on fundraising services.

Noah Malgeri (R)

A veteran and attorney, Malgeri reported the second-highest first quarter fundraising total in the District 3 Republican primary, bringing in more than $94,000 from January through March.

Malgeri personally contributed a majority of those funds (nearly $88,000) and has self-financed about 80 percent of his campaign so far.

Malgeri ended the quarter with $100,000 in cash on hand, after spending $44,000 during the first quarter, including nearly $24,000 on “messaging” through Arizona-based B1 Marketing Group.

John Kovacs (R)

The construction company owner continued to rack up his campaign’s debt in the first quarter, ending with $440,000 owed.

Of nearly $63,000 Kovacs raised from January through March, $62,000 came from loans he made to his own campaign. He has personally contributed 96 percent of the $342,000 he has raised this cycle.

He also spent more than he raised in the first quarter, expending more than $75,000, including $15,000 on Facebook ad buys. Kovacs enters the second quarter with just $3,000 on hand.

Clark Bossert (R)

A former UNLV machine shop manager, Bossert reported raising more than $10,000 during the first quarter…