Paulsen, Bonoff raising huge sums in contested Third District

Minnesota's Third Congressional District is erupting into a fierce battle as some of the most powerful interest groups in the nation have started pouring money into the race the last couple of weeks.

Republican U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen has hauled in more than $160,000 since July 21, in donations of at least $1,000, according to last-minute disclosures filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Paulsen is locked in a competitive race with state Sen. Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka, a DFLer who has drawn early attention for being a big fundraiser. Bonoff has attracted help from the national Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, a group that spends big to help Democrats win.

Paulsen's latest re-election effort is proving to be his toughest yet, as Donald Trump's presence at the top of the ticket has raised fears that he will hurt Republicans like Paulsen, who represent largely suburban districts filled with moderate, affluent voters. The four-term congressman from Eden Prairie has struggled to distance himself from Trump, saying the sometimes-bombastic GOP nominee has yet to earn his support.

The batch of recent campaign reports, triggered by the state's August primary election, offer the best look at fundraising efforts ahead of Oct. 15, when candidates have to next report fundraising totals ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

Bonoff reported just more than $54,000 in donations of at least $1,000.

Paulsen, who sits on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, has a strong fundraising edge over Bonoff, who joined the race in May. He has more than $3 million in cash-on-hand, and the recent pace of fundraising could suggest Paulsen sees a tough race. He has raised nearly $7,000 per day in donations larger than $1,000 since July 21, according to federal campaign-finance records.

"I always want to run a very robust campaign," Paulsen said Wednesday after receiving the endorsement of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at an Excelsior event.

Paulsen, who has faced anemic challenges in past election cycles, said he attracts widespread financial support because of his record in Congress. He touted the passage of a bipartisan medical-device tax repeal that he and members of Minnesota's Democratic congressional delegation supported. "The bottom line is I have thousands of people that support my campaign," Paulsen said.

Between July 1 and July 20, both candidates have raised more than $55,000, according to a pre-primary election report. Paulsen raised $57,240, with more than $29,000 coming from individual donations. Contributions from political action committees, or PACs, totaled $27,500. Political action committees that contributed to Paulsen's re-election effort represent a gamut of industries, including health care, financial services and medical technology, attracting criticism by Bonoff's campaign.

"Approximately 80 percent of the money we raised in this time frame came from individual donations, and reflects the strong grass-roots and community support out there for our campaign," according to a statement by the Bonoff campaign. "Unlike Erik Paulsen, we are not bankrolled by super PACs or special interest money — and like the voters in Minnesota's Third District, Terri is very concerned with the increasing influence dark money has on our political process."

Over the same July 1-20 period, Bonoff raised more than $55,000, 88 percent of which came from individuals. She has about $571,000 in cash-on-hand, significantly less than Paulsen's war chest.

Counting big and small donations, Bonoff's campaign says it has raised more than $150,000 since July 21.

Paulsen's campaign did not respond to a request for similar information on donations of less than $1,000, and the next opportunity for detailed campaign-finance reports won't occur until Oct. 15, days before the election.

The No. 4-ranked Democrat in the U.S. House, Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles, swung through Minnesota on Monday, attending a fundraising for Bonoff. Becerra is stumping for congressional candidates across the country, and he says that while Bonoff has plenty of ground to make up, Paulsen's $3 million campaign bank account may not be enough to secure his re-election.

"The marginal returns of a dollar are going to really going to dissipate after a while," Becerra said. "It makes no difference how much money you spend, you're not going to get anything more from it. You're just going to flat line. In fact, you may go down because people get so tired of you. Here's the difficulty for Republicans, including Erik Paulsen."

Ricardo Lopez • 651-925-5044