Raskin war chest nears $5 million, dwarfs other Maryland congressional fundraising
U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-8th) finished 2024 with just under $5 million in his campaign account, far outstripping all other members of the state’s congressional delegation, senators included, according to new campaign reports.
The information was included in 2024 year-end campaign finance reports filed Friday with the Federal Election Commission. The FEC reports outline fundraising activities between Nov. 26 and Dec. 31.
Raskin, who became the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee in January, raised more money during the five-week period at the end of the year than any of Maryland’s nine other members of Congress, and he had far more money banked than any of his in-state colleagues — including the two U.S. senators.
Raskin reported raising $97,892 from Nov. 26 through the end of the year, and starting the new year with $4,965,203 in the bank. First elected in 2016, Raskin never has to sweat reelection in his heavily Democratic district, but he has become a fundraising powerhouse since leading President Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial in 2021.
Most other members of the state congressional delegation had far quieter year-end fundraising hauls, though some had fairly robust war chests. Two of the state’s freshman House members — Reps. Sarah K. Elfreth (D-3rd) and April McClain Delaney (D-6th) — had very modest amounts of money in the bank at the end of the year, while the other freshman, Rep. Johnny Olszewski Jr. (D-2nd), had considerably more.
At this early stage, only McClain Delaney is expected to have a competitive reelection fight in 2026 in a district that stretches from upper Montgomery County to the western edge of the state. Neither of the state’s senators — Chris Van Hollen (D) and Angela Alsobrooks (D) — faces reelection next year.
Besides Raskin’s big fundraising take, the year-end campaign finance picture for Maryland’s House members looked like this:
- Rep. Andy Harris (R-1st) reported $754,935 in the bank at the end of the year after raising $19,441 in the final five weeks. His campaign reported a $5,000 donation from the Maryland Republican Party — which his wife heads. Harris is now the head of the House Freedom Caucus on Capitol Hill, and a so-called cardinal on the Appropriations Committee, where he chairs the Agricultural subcommittee.
- Olszewski had $166,591 in the bank on Dec. 31 after collecting $9,277 at year’s end.
- Elfreth had $30,739 on hand after raising $5,095. Her campaign committee reported a $5,000 donation from Irwin Mark Jacobs, the 91-year-old co-founder of Qualcomm.
- Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-4th) reported $305,388 on hand after raising $14,140 in the final five weeks of the year.
- Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th), the dean of the state’s congressional delegation, did not raise any money at all at the end of the year but still had $623,674 on hand. Political observers will be closely examining his future campaign finance reports to see if the 85-year-old lawmaker is contemplating seeking a 23rd full term.
- McClain Delaney reported $12,879 in her war chest after raising $6,103 in the final five weeks of 2024. She was carrying $3.8 million in debts — loans she had made to her campaign in the weeks leading up to the election.
- Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-7th) raised just $528 at the end of the year, but finished with $693,925 in the bank.
The state’s two senators appeared to be raising money at a steady clip at the end of the year.
Coming off the most expensive campaign in state history, for which she raised more than $30 million, Alsobrooks took in $77,308 in the final five weeks of 2024, including $31,500 from political action committees. She finished the year with $54,208 in the bank. Alsobrooks is not up for reelection until 2030.
Maryland’s senior senator, Van Hollen, is up for reelection in 2028. He reported $1,953,402 on hand as of Dec. 31, after raising $63,181 in the final five weeks of the year.