AUGUSTA – U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, a Democrat who is running for re-election in Maine’s 1st Congressional District, is leading her Republican opponent in campaign fundraising by nearly a 7-to-1 ratio, according to the most recent reports.

Pingree, running for her second term in Congress, took in $182,000 in the fundraising period April 1 to June 30, according to Federal Election Commission reports.

Dean Scontras, the businessman from Eliot who is challenging her, raised $66,000 in that period.

Pingree has raised about $700,000 since the beginning of the election cycle, to Scontras’ $116,000, but the Republican remains optimistic.

“Typically, the way you do this is cocktail parties and country clubs, right? Well, unfortunately, not a lot of people can afford those country clubs anymore, nor the cocktail parties, so we’re doing it bit by bit at a time,” Scontras said of his fundraising. “I just think there’s something in the political atmosphere where sort of traditional politics is off. I can feel it.”

Scontras said he has been pounding the campaign trail, holding more than 50 town hall meetings and driving his “debt truck,” which displays the national debt, around the district.

“The message is very clear — and let’s be fair, Democrats and Republicans are both to blame for this problem — but I have never seen people so engaged. They are going to toss this Congress out,” he said.

Pingree’s campaign holds an advantage in cash on hand, with about $360,000, compared with Scontras’ $67,000.

While Scontras acknowledges that he’s at a fiscal disadvantage, he questioned how voters might feel about the origin of some of Pingree’s contributions.

“A lot of it is coming from a very interesting industry, which is the financial industry, which is Wall Street,” he said. “It will buy good commercials, but it’s political blood money.”

Pingree’s campaign has raised significant money from out of state, including $144,000 from political action committees. And many employees of New York-based investment firms, such as Lehman Brothers and Realm Partners LLC, have given her the maximum of $4,800.

Pingree has been bolstered, too, by donations of all sizes from Mainers throughout the southern part of the state, a fact that her campaign was eager to highlight.

“Chellie has been fighting hard in Congress to bring jobs to Maine and stand up for Maine people. Her supporters see that and have been extremely generous in supporting her re-election campaign so they can send her back to Congress,” said Lisa Prosienski, Pingree’s campaign manager, in a prepared statement.

“We feel great about the grass-roots enthusiasm from Chellie’s supporters,” she said.

Campaigning is expected to pick up in intensity throughout this summer, leading up to the November election.

 

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