Campaign finance reports show some incumbents struggling

Posted at 11:37 AM ET, 03/13/2012

Campaign finance reports show some incumbents struggling

By Mike DeBonis, Washington Post

Three weeks remain till the earlier-than-usual April 3 city primaries, and many local candidates will be making do with less than their usual campaign money hauls.

Finance reports due at midnight show that Ward 4 incumbent Muriel Bowser (D) has the most cash on hand, with $217,143 left to spend — far, far outstripping her challengers. Vincent Orange (D-At Large) has $114,389 on hand, more than $30,000 more than his nearest opponent. Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who is running unopposed, has $88,706 left in the bank.

Other incumbents are less flush. Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) has $18,559 in the bank — only about $10,000 more than challenger Kevin B. Chavous. And Marion Barry (D-Ward 2) upped his fundraising but matched it with increased spending, leaving him with only $7,374 on hand. That’s less than challenger Sandra Seegars and Darrell Gaston appear to have.