FILE - This combination of photos shows Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, left, and Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris during an ABC News presidential debate at the National Constitution Center, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
Vice President Kamala Harris has continued to outraise former President Donald Trump in Bartholomew County, while local Republicans seeking reelection in the General Assembly built a fundraising edge over their Democratic rivals, according to new campaign finance filings.
Harris’ campaign reported raising more campaign cash in Bartholomew County than Trump’s campaign in September — marking the third consecutive month the Democratic presidential hopeful outraised her GOP rival, according to new filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Harris’ campaign reported $18,770 in contributions from Bartholomew County residents in September, up from $15,158 in August, the records show. By comparison, Trump’s campaign reported raising $14,743 from Bartholomew County last month, compared to $10,665 the month before.
Harris’ campaign also raised $19,720 during the final 10 days of July, more than the roughly $6,567 that Trump’s campaign reported raising in the county during the entire month of July.
Overall, Harris’ campaign reported raising $53,648 in Bartholomew County since the vice president moved to the top of the Democratic ticket in late July, compared to the $28,397 that Trump reported raising locally over the same period.
Similar trends are being seen in several neighboring communities and statewide, including Brown, Jackson and Jennings counties.
Harris’ campaign reported raising $24,196 in Brown County over the same period, while Trump’s campaign reported raising $2,518. Harris outraised Trump in Jackson County $9,607 to $8,463 over the same period and $5,602 to $3,706 in Jennings County.
However, Trump by far outraised Harris in Decatur County, $16,171 to $1,900.
Statewide, the Harris’ campaign reported raising around $4.36 million from July 21, when President Joe Biden announced that he would drop out of the race, to Sept. 30, while Trump reported raising $2.07 million over the same period.
While Harris has outraised Trump in historically Republican counties since she has been at the top of the ticket, it is impossible to say whether local contributions for Harris will translate into more Democratic votes in November.
Trump received 63% of the vote in Bartholomew County in 2016 and 62% in 2020, according to the Bartholomew County Clerk’s Office.
Recent polling suggests that Trump is favored to win in Indiana in the upcoming election.
Three polls taken at different times between Aug. 28 and Sept. 25 have shown Trump leading Harris in Indiana by 14 to 17 percentage points, according to data-driven news site FiveThirtyEight.
The last Democrat to carry Bartholomew County was Lyndon Johnson 60 years ago, while the last Democrat to carry Indiana was Barack Obama in 2008.
Statehouse races
Republicans running for Indiana House districts covering parts of Bartholomew County have outraised each of their Democratic opponents in the upcoming election, according to records with the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.
Three Indiana House districts cover parts of Bartholomew County, including District 59, which covers most of the western half of the county; District 73, which covers the eastern half; and District 69, which includes a slice of southern Bartholomew County.
Rep. Jim Lucas, R-Seymour, who seeking reelection in District 69, has raised more money than any other candidate in those three districts, though nearly 76% of campaign funds have come from one source — the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee.
Lucas’ campaign has reported receiving $127,092 in contributions this year — including roughly $96,324 from the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee, which states that it is “committed to electing strong, conservative candidates for state representative who are dedicated to making Indiana the best place to live, work and raise a family.”
Lucas pleaded guilty last year to two misdemeanor charges after police said he crashed his vehicle through an interstate guardrail while under the influence of alcohol and then fled the scene.
All of the contributions from the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee were made during the primary, when Lucas was facing a tight challenge from Brownstown teacher Brian Savilla.
The Republican from Seymour also reported receiving $10,000 from the Indiana Realtors Political Action Committee and $2,500 from Hoosiers for Quality Education Inc. PAC, which backs the state’s charter school and private school voucher programs.
Despite his conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol, Anheuser-Busch Inc. contributed $1,000 to Lucas’ campaign. His campaign also received $1,000 from the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers, which describes itself on its website as “the voice of the state’s package liquor store industry,” and $350 from Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits LLC.
Lucas’ opponent in the upcoming election, Democratic nominee Trish Whitcomb, reported raising $72,748, including $17,238 from ActBlue, the Democratic Party’s online fundraising platform.
Whitcomb also reported a $2,500 contribution from I-PACE, which is affiliated with the Indiana State Teachers Association.
Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, who is seeking reelection in District 59, reported raising $28,315 this year, including $500 from Hoosiers for Quality Education Political Action Committee, which backs the state’s charter school and private school voucher programs, and $500 from Duke Energy Corp. PAC.
He also received a $500 contribution from Norfolk Southern Corp. Good Government Fund. Norfolk Southern was in the national spotlight in 2023 when one if its trains derailed in Ohio and spilled a cocktail of hazardous chemicals that caught fire.
Lauer also reported using $1,000 in campaign funds to help bankroll legal fees for Columbus City Council member Joseph “Jay” Foyst, who is attempting to overturn an unanimous appellate court decision that found he was not a valid candidate in the 2023 municipal election.
Lauer’s contribution to Foyst was made Aug. 16, one month after the appellate court decision and nearly three weeks before Foyst asked the Indiana Supreme Court to take up the case.
Lauer’s opponent in the upcoming election, Democratic Party Chair Ross Thomas, has largely self-funded his campaign, with $16,500 of the $24,472 he raised this year coming from his own pocket. Thomas also reported raising around $2,877 from ActBlue Indiana.
Similar to Lucas, Rep. Jennifer Meltzer, R-Shelbyville, who is seeking reelection in District 73, also received an infusion of campaign cash from state Republicans, with $27,794 in contributions from the Indiana Republican Party and $4,136 from the Indiana House Republican Campaign Committee. Overall, Meltzer reported raising $70,430.
Meltzer’s opponent, Democratic nominee Hollie Payton, reported raising $10,618, mostly from individuals.
