Republican Celeste Maloy has a four-to-one campaign cash advantage over Democrat Kathleen Riebe in the final days before Utah’s special congressional election.
Maloy, the GOP nominee in Utah’s 2nd Congressional District Race to replace Chris Stewart, reported just under $120,000 in cash at the beginning of November, while Riebe has about $30,000 in the bank ahead of the final stretch.
Maloy has raised more than $587,000 since jumping into the race in May. A third of that campaign cash is from political action committees and groups, including $5,000 from the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List and $1,000 from the National Rifle Association.
One of the few current events on which Maloy has voiced an opinion during the campaign is support for increased funding to Israel during the current conflict with Hamas. Maloy’s campaign received a $5,000 donation from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
The Republican establishment has jumped behind Maloy’s campaign. In the most recent reporting period, she received donations from the National Republican Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Republicans and current members of Congress. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise contributed $15,000 to Maloy’s campaign through his Eye of the Tiger PAC and another $6,000 from his campaign. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer kicked in another $10,000, as did former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Other prominent Republicans who contributed to Maloy include Utah Rep. Blake Moore and outgoing Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson, who is running for U.S. Senate in 2024.
Maloy’s campaign reported approximately $32,000 in unpaid invoices.
At the start of October, Riebe had more cash in the bank than Maloy. That financial advantage was erased as Riebe dropped just over $95,000 on radio and television ads for her campaign.
The majority of Riebe’s contributions (52%) are from individual donors, with most of those coming from Utahns. 43% of Maloy’s donations have come from Utah residents.
Riebe has received a handful of contributions from political action committees and labor organizations, including $5,000 from the centrist Congressional Blue Dog Democrats.
In a news release Friday, Riebe attacked Maloy’s campaign for the PAC donations, adding that she’s “proud to run a campaign driven by the grassroots, small-dollar donations of thousands of Utahns — that tells me our message of unity, common sense, and bipartisan progress resonates.”
Election Day in Utah this year, including the special congressional election, is Tuesday, Nov. 21.