Tammy Baldwin, Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden post big fundraising advantages

WASHINGTON – More than a year out from the 2024 election, Wisconsin's most vulnerable lawmakers on Capitol Hill are maintaining significant fundraising advantages over their early challengers.

Republican U.S. Reps. Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden, whom Democrats have labeled as top targets as they seek to flip control of the House next year, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars more than their Democratic opponents and expanded their war chests, according to the latest campaign finance filings.

And Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, meanwhile, continued to rake in donations despite the absence of a significant Republican challenge.

Here are three takeaways from the third-quarter campaign finance reports released over the weekend:

Baldwin sits on millions as she waits for a challenger

No major Republican candidate has jumped in the race against Baldwin.

But the Madison Democrat seeking a third term in 2024 continues to take advantage of her fundraising operation.

Baldwin raised more than $3.1 million between July and the end of September, filings with the Federal Election Commission show. She ended last month with $6.8 million in cash on hand.

Those numbers dwarf those of her only official Republican challenger, Trempealeau County Board Supervisor Stacey Klein, who raised $1,767 over the same period and had $1,391 in cash on hand. Rejani Raveendran, a 40-year-old college student in Stevens Point and the first Republican to announce a challenge to Baldwin, has yet to file paperwork with the FEC.

Phillip Anderson, a Libertarian running for Senate, raised $4,667 in the third quarter of this year and had just under $6,000 in his war chest.

Republican businessmen Eric Hovde and Scott Mayer, both multi-millionaires who could self-fund portions of their campaigns, are still considering jumping into the race.

Van Orden maintains a fundraising edge

Wisconsin's freshman congressman who narrowly won the battleground 3rd Congressional District last year is the top target for Democrats in the state.

Van Orden raised $864,475 between July and the end of September, FEC reports show, and had more than $1.4 million in cash on hand.

He currently faces four Democratic challengers: small-business owner Rebecca Cooke, former La Crosse County Board Chair Tara Johnson, Harvard Law student Aaron Nytes and Stevens Point State Rep. Katrina Shankland.

Cooke, who placed second in last year's Democratic primary for the seat, raised $400,000 and had $306,000 in her war chest, while Johnson raised $131,000 and had just under $113,000 cash in on hand.

Nytes, whose address is listed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, reported raising $735.34. His cash on hand is listed at $618.87.

Fundraising data for Shankland had not yet appeared in the FEC system by Monday afternoon. But Shankland's campaign Monday morning said she raised $100,000. Shankland formally launched her campaign in early October.

Steil far out-raises Democratic opponents

Steil, seeking a fourth term representing Wisconsin's southern 1st Congressional district, has a significant early fundraising advantage over his Democratic opponents.

The Janesville Republican's main campaign committee reported raising $593,000 in the third quarter of this year, according to the latest FEC filings. But Steil's campaign on Monday said he raised a total of $670,000 over the quarter — a sum that also includes the Steil Victory Fund PAC and Steil's leadership committee.

He reported $3.2 million in cash on hand.

Lorenzo Santos, a Racine County emergency response manager and the first Democratic to declare a bid for Steil's seat, raised $4,894 over the same period and had $4,750 in cash on hand.

Two other Democrats who filed to run in the district, Anthony Hammes and Diane Anderson, did not report fundraising numbers.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Tammy Baldwin, Bryan Steil and Derrick Van Orden post cash advantages