Washington – Rep. John Katko raised about $488,000 in the last quarter, his strongest fundraising quarter of the year, leaving him with more than $1.2 million to spend on next year’s election, his campaign said today.
Katko, R-Camillus, continued to show his fundraising resiliency in the face of opposition from former president Donald Trump and some of his supporters in Central New York.
The four-term congressman set a personal record for his best fundraising in the third quarter of a non-election year.
Katko’s campaign said it plans to file disclosure reports today with the Federal Election Commission showing he raised about $234,000 from individual donors and roughly the same amount from political committees.
An itemized breakdown of Katko’s donors and expenses was not available Friday morning.
Katko said in a statement that his fundraising success offers proof that voters want an end to one-party rule by Democrats in Washington.
One of the Democrats seeking to challenge Katko next year has already filed a report with FEC showing early momentum with donors.
Iraq war veteran Francis Conole of Syracuse reported raising about $213,000 in a single month since he launched his campaign at the beginning of September.
Conole had about $184,000 cash on hand as of Oct. 1, according to a report he filed with the FEC.
Conole is opposed for the Democratic nomination by Steve Holden, 48, an Army veteran from Camillus. Holden had not filed his quarterly fundraising report as of Friday morning.
Trump has vowed to back a primary election challenger to Katko, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for inciting the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Trump sent a letter in June to the chairman of the Onondaga County Conservative Party, encouraging him to “find a great candidate” to challenge Katko. Trump offered to help with the campaign.
The Conservative Party plans to announce its choice for a candidate later this fall.
John Murtari, of Lyons in Wayne County, is the first Republican to emerge as a potential GOP challenger to Katko. So far, Murtari has not picked up support from Republican committee leaders in the 24th Congressional District.
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