By Ally Mutnick, April 14, 2021
WASHINGTON — Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) raised a seven-figure sum for the sixth consecutive quarter, cementing her status as a small-dollar fundraising juggernaut as she weighs a run for governor or a leadership bid in the House.
The fourth-term incumbent brought in $1.1 million in the first three months of 2021 from 30,000 donors, with an average contribution size of $25. She ended March with over $2.5 million in the bank.
That largesse leaves her well-positioned to grow her profile beyond rank-and-file congresswoman in the coming years. … Stefanik’s team has touted her financial prowess as a potential asset for future statewide runs. She has said she is not ruling out a campaign for governor in 2022.
“Congresswoman Stefanik continues to receive encouragement from all corners of the state as she would immediately be the strongest Republican candidate in both a primary and general gubernatorial election,” Alex DeGrasse, her senior adviser, said in a statement. “She continues to set records as the most prolific New York Republican fundraiser ever in state history.”
Stefanik’s seat in northern upstate New York used to be a battleground, and she flipped it when she replaced retiring Democratic Rep. Bill Owens. Though Barack Obama won it in 2012, the region has taken a hard swing to the right since. Trump carried it by double-digit margins in the next two presidential elections.
Read the full article here
