BY ROBERT SANCHEZ
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Roxanne Qualls
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Only two non-incumbent candidates for U.S. House seats around the country have amassed more campaign money than Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls in Ohio's 1st Congressional District.
The Democrat, who is taking on incumbent Republican Steve Chabot, had $397,399 in the bank as of June 30.
Ms. Qualls still trails Mr. Chabot, who had a campaign fund of $509,191 as of June 30, but a Federal Elections Commission (FEC) survey of money-raising in House and Senate races showed that Ms. Qualls ranks third in fund-raising among challengers.
Only Democrat Christine Kehoe, who, with a campaign fund of $498,970, is running in a California district that includes San Diego, and Republican Mark Baker, who is running in a western Illinois district and has $449,283, have more money in the bank than Ms. Qualls.
"We're pleased that we are doing this well and that this campaign has attracted this kind of attention," said Beth Davidson, Ms. Qualls' campaign press secretary.
The Chabot-Qualls contest is one of the most closely watched House races in the country as the Democrats try to erase the Republicans' current 22-member House majority.
It is also likely to be one of the most expensive. Before it is over, both the Qualls and Chabot campaigns are expected to raise somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million, and hundreds of thousands of dollars in independent expenditures are expected to pour into the district from political parties and special-interest groups.
According to the FEC study, Ms. Qualls is by far the best-funded House challenger in Ohio. Democrat Rob Burch, who is running in the 18th District in eastern Ohio, ranked 27th among House challengers with $175,352. Ohio Lt. Gov. Nancy Hollister, a Republican who is taking on incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland in Ohio's 6th District, ranked 49th with a campaign fund of $115,021.
The FEC study tracked campaign fund-raising for House and Senate candidates from the beginning of 1997 through the last quarterly reporting period, which ended June 30.
It showed that House and Senate candidates around the country raised $484 million from Jan. 1, 1997, through June 30 of this year, about $37 million more than was raised by House and Senate candidates in the same period during the 1995-1996 election cycle.
Fellow GOP to help Chabot
