Cammie Croft, one of a handful of Democrats actively running to succeed Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) in the House should Sherrill win next month’s gubernatorial election, raised $187,726 in the first week of her campaign, a week that was also the final week of the 3rd quarter fundraising period.
$152,990 of Croft’s total came during her first 24 hours in the race for the 11th congressional district; Croft’s campaign had $176,612 on-hand at the end of September.
“This early support is humbling and energizing,” Croft said in a statement. “It’s proof that families across New Jersey are ready for a new generation of leaders who will fight for them. Every dollar represents someone who believes we can bring costs down, clean up corruption, and deliver results for working people.”
Croft, an Obama administration alum and a former leader at an affordable energy nonprofit, is running what is still something of a hypothetical campaign for now, since Sherrill has not yet secured the governor’s office; Croft says she won’t run against the congresswoman if she loses the governorship and seeks re-election to the House.
That’s the same posture taken by Morris Township Deputy Mayor Jeff Grayzel, who has raised $339,000 so far for his similarly hypothetical campaign. One other Democrat, Anna Lee Williams, who says she’ll run for the 11th district even if Sherrill’s in the race, has raised $21,000; a lone Republican challenger, Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, has raised $107,000.
If Sherrill wins, though, the floodgates will almost certainly open for new candidates, especially Democrats, to enter the contest; lots of local electeds, ex-federal officials, and even a former congressman are laying the groundwork for a potential special election to succeed the four-term congresswoman.
Sherrill, for her part, raised exactly $0 into her congressional account during the 3rd quarter, though that’s to be expected given that she’s entirely focused on her gubernatorial campaign.
