by Caitlin Huey-Burns

Joe Wilson raised the most campaign cash last year for his House re-election bid

With less than six months to go before the midterm elections, campaigns are fundraising tirelessly and have been for the past year. And some campaigns had a good leg up from fundraising efforts last year. The Federal Election Commission recently released the top 50 House campaigns in terms of fundraising in 2009. South Carolina Republican Joe Wilson's campaign came in first with $3,394,438 and his opponent, Robert Miller, whom he beat in a close race in 2008, is not too far behind. Miller's campaign came in 8th place, with $2,024,628. New York Democrat Scott Murphy, who was elected to Congress in a special election just last year, came in second, with $3,255,768. Minority Leader John Boehner came in 5th, with $2,386,209, ahead of Nancy Pelosi, whom he could replace as House Speaker if the GOP is able to take control of the House.

Here is the FEC's list of the top 50 house campaigns in 2009:

Candidate State District Party Incumbent/Challenger/Open Seat Receipts

1 WILSON, JOE SC 2 REP INCUMBENT $3,394,438

2* MURPHY, SCOTT M NY 20 DEM INCUMBENT $3,255,768

3 RUSSELL, WILLIAM PA 12 REP OPEN $2,920,937

4 CANTOR, ERIC VA 7 REP INCUMBENT $2,607,099

5 BOEHNER, JOHN A OH 8 REP INCUMBENT $2,386,209

6 GRAYSON, ALAN MARK FL 8 DEM INCUMBENT $2,369,652

7 HOYER, STENY HAMILTON MD 5 DEM INCUMBENT $2,326,752

8 MILLER, ROBERT L SC 2 DEM CHALLENGER $2,024,628

9* CHU, JUDY CA 32 DEM INCUMBENT $1,912,103

10* HOFFMAN, DOUGLAS L. NY 23 REP OPEN $1,864,402

11 RANGEL, CHARLES B NY 15 DEM INCUMBENT $1,845,775

12 HIMES, JIM CT 4 DEM INCUMBENT $1,695,877

13 ADLER, JOHN H. NJ 3 DEM INCUMBENT $1,669,162

14 CLYBURN, JAMES E SC 6 DEM INCUMBENT $1,658,993

15 PETERS, GARY MI 9 DEM INCUMBENT $1,572,983

16 MALONEY, CAROLYN B NY 14 DEM INCUMBENT $1,548,551

17 BACHMANN, MICHELE MN 6 REP INCUMBENT $1,545,929

18 PELOSI, NANCY CA 8 DEM INCUMBENT $1,542,087

19 BERMAN, HOWARD L. CA 28 DEM INCUMBENT $1,505,683

20 MURPHY, PATRICK J PA 8 DEM INCUMBENT $1,490,441

21 FOSTER, G. WILLIAM IL 14 DEM INCUMBENT $1,454,857

22 SCHWARTZ, ALLYSON Y. PA 13 DEM INCUMBENT $1,449,004

23 MAFFEI, DANIEL NY 25 DEM INCUMBENT $1,438,618

24* OWENS, WILLIAM NY 23 DEM INCUMBENT $1,415,938

25 SCHAUER, MARK MI 7 DEM INCUMBENT $1,413,971

26 EDWARDS, CHET TX 17 DEM INCUMBENT $1,405,254

27 KLEIN, RON FL 22 DEM INCUMBENT $1,401,692

28 MCCAUL, MICHAEL TX 10 REP INCUMBENT $1,391,855

29 PIKE, DOUGLAS PA 6 DEM CHALLENGER $1,360,304

30 BUCHANAN, VERNON FL 13 REP INCUMBENT $1,338,992

31 FRANK, BARNEY MA 4 DEM INCUMBENT $1,323,519

32 BERKLEY, SHELLEY NV 1 DEM INCUMBENT $1,319,169

33 SPACE, ZACHARY T OH 18 DEM INCUMBENT $1,309,290

34 MURPHY, CHRISTOPHER CT 5 DEM INCUMBENT $1,281,374

35 ALTMIRE, JASON PA 4 DEM INCUMBENT $1,267,458

36 HALVORSON, DEBORAH IL 11 DEM INCUMBENT $1,252,066

37 BARTON, JOE LINUS TX 6 REP INCUMBENT $1,247,588

38* BUCHANAN, JOAN CA 10 DEM OPEN $1,247,542

39 GOEHRING, BRAD CA 11 REP CHALLENGER $1,230,934

40 LARSON, JOHN B CT 1 DEM INCUMBENT $1,224,365

41 ISRAEL, STEVE NY 2 DEM INCUMBENT $1,222,862

42 WEST, ALLEN B FL 22 REP CHALLENGER $1,220,308

43 MCMAHON, MICHAEL E. MR. NY 13 DEM INCUMBENT $1,201,234

44* GARAMENDI, JOHN CA 10 DEM INCUMBENT $1,198,351

45 GIFFORDS, GABRIELLE AZ 8 DEM INCUMBENT $1,191,378

46 PAULSEN, ERIK P REP. MN 3 REP INCUMBENT $1,189,140

47 TIBERI, PATRICK J. OH 12 REP INCUMBENT $1,185,084

48 MARKEY, BETSY CO 4 DEM INCUMBENT $1,179,897

49 PALLONE, FRANK JR NJ 6 DEM INCUMBENT $1,172,643

50 MINNICK, WALTER CLIFFORD ID 1 DEM INCUMBENT $1,163,564

*SPECIAL ELECTION ACTIVITY

 

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