Congressional cash: What campaign finance reports tell us about PA’s 2024 congressional field

It’s not 2024 yet, but candidates running for Congress next year are already busy expanding their war chests ahead of a consequential campaign year. In many cases incumbents are looking to lean on heavy cash advantages as they prepare for general election battles. Below, City & State takes a look at the campaign finance reports of Pennsylvania’s 2024 congressional candidates to see how they fared in the third quarter of this year – and who has an advantage heading into 2024. 

Heading into the final quarter of the year, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick holds a financial advantage in the 1st Congressional District. Fitzpatrick had a total of $584,578 in contributions during the third quarter, and finished the period with more than $3.3 million in the bank. Compare that to his primary challenger Mark Houck and Democrat Ashley Ehasz, both of whom are ending the quarter with significantly less cash on hand, and Fitzpatrick will enter the final stretch of the year in a favorable financial position. 

Incumbent U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle will also enter the fourth quarter in a comfortable spot, as Boyle has just under $3 million cash on hand. The Philadelphia congressman brought in more than $218,000 during Q3, bringing his war chest to $2,898,886.

U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans spent more than he brought in during the third quarter of this year, but with no challengers lining up to face him in next year’s election, Evans likely isn’t sweating it. Evans, who has been in Congress since 2016, has $178,886 in the bank as we head into the final quarter of the year.

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean has challenges from her left and right in 2024, with Democrat Erik Bonnett challenging Dean in the primary and Republican David Winkler seeking the GOP nomination. Winkler raised a little over $1,600 in the third quarter of the year, bringing his cash on hand total to $3,362. A third quarter report for Bonnett was not available at press time.

After winning reelection in 2022 by 16 points, Democratic U.S. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan currently has no challengers for her 6th District seat, which covers all of Chester County, as well as parts of Berks County, like the city of Reading. Houlahan also has more cash on hand than any other incumbent House member in the state, finishing Q3 with $3.5 million.

There are not one, not two, not three, but four GOP challengers looking to unseat U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in 2024 after Wild won by just two points in 2022. The congresswoman brought more than $440,000 in contributions in Q3, and finished the quarter with $1.1 million in her campaign coffers. Out of the GOP field, state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie finished the quarter with the most cash on hand, ending the period with $127,000 in the bank. Attorney Maria Montero finished the quarter with nearly $65,0000 on hand, while veteran and small business owner Kevin Dellicker ended the quarter with just under $57,000 on hand. GOP candidate Allen Issa had no contributions or expenses during Q3 and hence did not file a report, according to FEC documents.

With the help of $717,000 in contributions that came in during Q3, Democrat Matt Cartwright significantly expanded his amount of cash on hand – bringing it to $1.4 million to end the reporting period. And while his fundraising figures aren’t available yet, Republican Rob Bresnahan filed paperwork in early October to run for the GOP nomination in 2024.

Republican Dan Meuser raised close to $160,000 in contributions in the third quarter and spent around $120,000 in operating expenditures, leaving him with $76,000 in the bank heading into the final quarter of the year. As of now, Meuser doesn’t have a primary or general election opponent.

Freedom Caucus Chair Scott Perry may have finished the quarter with more than half a million in his campaign coffers, but he also spent more money than he brought in. Perry reported raising $311,745 in Q3, and reported spending $340,000 in operating expenditures. Meanwhile, Democrats are lining up to challenge Perry, and veteran Mike O’Brien finished the period with the most cash on hand among Democrats. O’Brien finished the quarter with just under $137,000 in the bank, though with Janelle Stelson and Bob Forbes jumping into the Democratic primary this month, we won’t get a good look at their financials until the end of Q4.

Representing central Pennsylvanians in Congress since 2017, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker is hoping voters will elect him to a fifth term next year. The incumbent congressman raised $177,509 in contributions in the third quarter of this year, bringing his ending balance to $1.2 million. One Democrat – David Baker – has entered the race, raising a little over $6,000 in Q3 and finishing the period with $427 on hand. 

U.S. Rep. Summer Lee has challengers from both parties gearing up to run against her in 2024, but Lee appeared to end Q3 with a financial advantage over the other two candidates in the race. The incumbent congresswoman reported raising more than $175,000 during the third quarter, bringing her cash on hand total to $253,000. Republican James Hayes raised $8,400 and finished the quarter with a little over $21,000 on hand. Bhavini Patel, a Democrat who announced a primary challenge against Lee in early October, didn’t file a full report for Q3, but reported having around $20,000 in the bank.

The electoral prognosis for U.S. Rep. John Joyce, Pennsylvania’s resident physician-congressman, looks pretty favorable right about now. Joyce, who ended Q3 by raising nearly $160,000 in contributions, finished the reporting period with more than $2.2 million on hand. That’s certainly a nice sum for Joyce to have handy as he seeks a fourth term in the U.S. House.

The third quarter didn’t provide much of a glimpse into the finances of the candidates challenging U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, but it did offer insight into how Reschenthaler fared. Reschenthaler – who is the House Chief Deputy Whip – brought in just under $360,000 in contributions, bringing his total amount of cash on hand to $783,000.

U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson – the chair of the House Committee on Agriculture – finished the reporting period with $820,000 in the bank thanks in part to $382,000 in contributions collected over the quarter. Thompson has been in Congress since 2009, and with no challengers in the race at the time of publication, he’s certainly hoping voters will send him back to D.C. next year.

Like many of the other races to date, the incumbent currently has the financial advantage in the 16th Congressional District race, as U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly reported $1,225,143 on hand at the end of Q3. As of now, Kelly has two challengers in 2024: Democrat Preston Nouri, who raised just under $18,000 and finished the quarter with nearly 68,000 on hand, and Republican Timothy Kramer, who filed paperwork to run as a Republican in August.

Next year could give us a battle between as state representative and a U.S. representative as U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio looks to fend off a challenge from state Rep. Rob Mercuri. Deluzio has both a fundraising and cash advantage heading into the final quarter of the year, as the incumbent brought in more than $458,000 in contributions, compared to Mercuri’s $145,000. Mercuri, who launched his congressional campaign in August, finished Q3 with $146,000, while Deluzio ended the period with $692,000 on hand.