Pelzer’s contributions significantly trail Ruiz
Dollars are not votes and upsets happen. Representative Dr. Raul Ruiz (D-36) can personally vouch for the possibility of a challenger overcoming the name recognition of an incumbent congressman.
Nevertheless, at the end of September, with five weeks until the election, Ruiz had 12 times the cash available than his Republican challenger Kimberlin Brown Pelzer.
Ruiz has received more than $1.2 million from individual contributors. Hundreds, maybe thousands, have given to his campaign. Many of these people have given $25 or $50 every month or two since 2017. This does not include the nearly $200,000 in donations from ActBlue, which accepts contributions of as little as $3.
Among the dozens of Political Action Committee contributions, Ruiz has benefited from many physician and pharmaceutical entities. Examples include the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the American College of Cardiology and the American Hospital Association.
Private PACs include Eli Lilly, Edwards Lifesciences, Edison, General Electric and Walgreen. He also has received funds from the Democratic Party and many individual colleagues.
Pelzer has received more than 580 contributions from individual donors. The total from individual contributions is about $625,000 and nearly 92 percent of the funding to her campaign. Of the individual contributions, slightly less than half were for $1,000 or more. She has received 141 contributions, totaling $378,000, which is more than half her total.
PAC contributions represent a small part of her treasury. Several, such as Maggie’s List and Value in Electing Women, are nonpartisan.
