BOSTON — The 2022 midterm elections are still more than a year off, but that hasn’t stopped members of the state’s all-Democratic U.S. House delegation from stockpiling campaign cash to help fend off any potential challengers.
To help bulk up their campaign checkbooks, members of the Massachusetts delegation have relied on a variety of sources, from smaller donations by individual supporters to larger checks from political actions committees — or PACs — representing a range of interests including unions and business sectors.
U.S. Rep. Richard Neal — chair of the powerful, budget-writing House Ways and Means Committee — is one of the delegation’s more prodigious fundraisers.
Neal reported collecting nearly $629,000 during the first half of the year. Of that, about 62% came from political action committees, many writing checks up to $5,000.
Neal, the longest-serving member of the delegation, ended the second quarter of the year with more than $2.6 million in cash in his campaign account — the most of any member of the state’s House delegation. The 72-year-old was first elected to the House in 1988 and represents the state’s 1st Congressional District, which makes up much of the western part of the state.
Another long-serving member of the delegation — U.S. Rep. James McGovern — ended June with nearly $360,000 in cash left in his account. Of the $244,000 he received in donations during the first half of the year, about 34% came from political action committees.
The 61-year-old Worcester native, who represents the state’s 2nd Congressional District, was first elected to the House in 1996 and is chair of the House Rules Committee.
The member of Congress representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, reported nearly $950,000 left in cash in her campaign account as of the end of June. The 47-year-old was first elected to Congress in 2018. Of the $795,000 she raised in the first half of the year, about 20% came from PACs.
The state’s newest member — 4th Congressional District U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss — reported nearly $1.5 million left in his campaign account as of the end of June. Less than 8% of the $1 million raised by the 33-year-old Newton resident during the first half of the year, came from PACs.
U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark, who represents the state’s 5th Congressional District, has also been able to stockpile a hefty sum — more than $1.3 million.
The 58-year-old Melrose resident, who has risen up through the leadership ranks in the House after being first elected in 2008, also relied on political action committees to boost her campaign account. Of the $605,000 Clark collected during the first six months of the year, more than 39% came from PACs.
The member representing the state’s 6th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, ended June with more than $476,000 in his campaign account. Of the $427,000 the 42-year-old raised during the first half of the year, about 11% came from PACs.
U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, first elected to represent the state’s 7th Congressional District in 2018, ended the first half of 2021 with nearly $552,000 left in her campaign account.
The 47-year-old Boston resident took in the smallest percentage of donations from PACs of any member of the state’s delegation during the past six months. Of the $345,000 Pressley collected between January and June, just 4.2% came from political action committees.
U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch, who was first elected to Congress in a 2001 special election, reported raising about $111,000 in the first six months of the year, with more than 84% coming from PACs. The 66-year-old ended June with more than $1.14 million in his campaign account. The Boston resident represents the state’s 8th Congressional District.
The member representing the state’s 9th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. William Keating, reported raising $153,000 during the first half of the year, with about 35% of those funds coming from political action committees.
The 68-year-old Bourne resident had more than $1.5 million in his campaign account as of the end of June.
Neither U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren or Edward Markey, both Democrats, are up for reelection next year.