Ask Gary Pearce what you need to win a campaign and the veteran political consultant and former advisor to Governor Jim Hunt will tell you two things: a strong message and enough money to get that message to voters.
In North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District race, a crowded field of eight progressive candidates has raised over $1 million combined in their bids for the Democratic primary, which will undoubtedly determine who gets sent to Capitol Hill in the overwhelmingly blue district. Three Republicans are also running despite having virtually no chance at victory if the district’s boundaries hold as congressional maps are redrawn this month.
About 85 percent of donations in the race have gone to three candidates—Durham County commissioner Nida Allam and state senators Wiley Nickel and Valerie Foushee—according to Federal Election Commission data. Some candidates like Allam have relied more on small donations ($200 or less); Nickel, on the other hand, has heavily invested his own money.
Money probably won’t buy a winner this election, but it sure doesn’t hurt. Here’s how the candidates stack up according to their latest campaign reports, which cover the 2022 election cycle.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the fundraising data for the candidates is from Federal Elections Commission data running from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.
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Follow Senior Staff Writer Leigh Tauss on Twitter or send an email to ltauss@indyweek.com.
