There's still a long way to go until the May 17 primary and three Republican candidates have surpassed the half-million dollar mark in fundraising. West Linn educator and publisher and political newcomer Bridget E. Barton has the most cash on hand with a staggering $345K and the lowest burn rate among the leaders.

Barton placed focus on her outsider status. “I’m not a politician. Our beautiful state cannot afford another four years of radical left rule. People across Oregon want big changes that career politicians simply can’t deliver,” said Barton. “I’m an outsider –focused on solving problems.”

Candidate	Total Raised	Cash on Hand
Bridget E. Barton	$509,896.15	$345,275.74
Stan Pulliam	$673,325.66	$247,516.06
Bud Pierce	$849,559.99	$161,015.29
Kerry McQuisten	$88,406.71	$61,519.23
Jessica Gomez	$242,834.08	$15,450.72
Jim Huggins	$34,011.00	$10,784.81
Amber R Richardson	$3,346.00	$360.17
Nick Hess	$64,580.59	-$14,105.13
Marc Thielman	$51,407.63	-$21,973.91
Brandon C Merritt	$73,234.00	-$31,572.67

Top total fundraiser and 2018 Republican nominee and Salem Oncologist Dr. Bud Pierce has pulled in over $673K and has $160K left to spend. Dr. Pierce has contributed over $360K to his own campaign and has probably the best name recognition of any of the Republican candidates.

Sandy Mayor Stan Pulliam has been working long and hard around the state and he has a broad spectrum of grass-roots donors. Insiders with the Stan Pulliam campaign have confirmed that the campaign has raised over $230,000 late in 2021 which has yet to be reported and is not reflected in the chart.

Pulliam reflected on his fundraising. "Unlike the big corporate and government union backed candidates in this race, our movement is powered by the Main Street business owners and grassroots donors who are concerned about government mandates, skyrocketing crime, and failing schools. These are everyday Oregonians who are voting with their dollars."

While there's still several months to go before the primary, one political analyst who asked not to be named offered this advice to candidates who've struggled to raise cash. "You have to talk to about 800,000 Republicans in the primary in May. Even if you go to all the Republican and right-leaning meetings between now and then, you won't get there. You need to have money to get the job done."


--Staff Reports

Post Date: 2022-01-03 17:13:15

Last Update: 2022-01-04 09:32:57