As the Candidates File: 6th Congressional District
July 15, 2011 2 Comments
The filing continues and so does the fun.
In the 6th Congressional District, we have reports up from Don Bates, Travis Hankins and Luke Messer. Here are the breakdowns.
Bates: $55,245 Raised, $53,197 Cash on Hand
Hankins: $33,905 Raised, $61,277 Cash on Hand
Messer: $200,539 Raised, $185,148 Cash on Hand
Looks like Luke Messer has been busy raising a boat load of money though we can’t say we are surprised. Messer has some big backers and showed he can raise money in the 5th District race last year.
The fact that Bates only outraised Hankins by $20,000 cannot make him happy. Bates ran for U.S. Senate in 2010 while Hankins ran in the 9th District with a more grassroots focused campaign. That said, Hankins spent more than he raised this quarter with his cash on hand number dropping from $70,343 at the start of the period to around $61,000 this quarter.
If money talks, Messer is sending a message.
Washington Street Politics 
Problem is Bates still has $50,000+ debt he still owes from his Senate run, which if you look at his filings, he carried over to this campaign. Very dissapointed how he spent his funds in the last race…$27,000 on his “concert-kick off” announcement??!! What happened to the days of announcing on the courthouse steps…for free?? Not the way I want my money spent! I think Luke has the money backing to win the primary and do it again in the fall of 2012.
Bates is also under a law suit at the church he has pastored in Winchester for the last 13 years.