Mizeur Raised $1 Million So Far in 2021, Boasting Record for Early Fundraising, Campaign Says

Heather Mizeur (D) has raised more than $1 million in her bid to represent the 1st Congressional District, a figure her campaign says is a record in the district at this point in an election cycle.

Mizeur’s campaign will be reporting $1,048,756 raised so far in the 2021-2022 election cycle when the next Federal Election Commission reports are due Oct. 15, said Noah Habenstreit, Mizeur’s campaign manager.

Habenstreit said the only other candidate who raised more than $1 million in an off year was then-Congressman Frank Kratovil (D) in 2009. But Kratovil didn’t pass the $1-million-mark until closer to the end of the year, when he reported a total of $1,099,795 raised.

Heather Mizeur. Patch.com file photo.

Habenstreit also said he expects Mizeur’s campaign to surpass Kratovil’s 2009 figure by the end of the year, since Mizeur has raised more than $335,000 each quarter since launching her campaign in January.

Roughly 82% of donations to Mizeur in the third quarter of 2021 were $100 or less, and more than 80% of donors were from Maryland, according to a campaign announcement.

“When you build a grassroots movement of people fired up for change, anything is possible,” Mizeur, a former state delegate, said. “We’ve hit a historic milestone thanks to an army of thousands who want to bring bold, innovative and compassionate representation back to the First District — and we’re not slowing down.

Mizeur isn’t the only Democrat vying to unseat incumbent Andrew P. Harris, the lone Republican in the state’s congressional delegation, in the 2022 election. R. David Harden (D), a foreign policy strategist, is also running.

Harris defeated Kratovil in the 2010 election by a wide margin and has since handily won reelection in the state’s only Republican-leaning district. Third quarter fundraising data was not yet available for Harris’ campaign Wednesday, according to the Federal Election Commission. As of July, Harris reported $425,122 in net contributions this cycle and retained $1.29 million cash on hand.

Candidates generally bring in more money during election years than in off years. During his successful bid to unseat Kratovil, for instance, Harris raised $720,934 by the end of 2009 and ended the cycle in 2010 with more than $2.3 million in net contributions.

Mizeur now has more than $760,000 cash on hand, according to her campaign. Harris previously called Mizeur a “prolific fundraiser” in a campaign fundraising letter after her strong first quarter earnings.

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