PROVIDENCE — In the First Congressional District race, self-funding has given investor Don Carlson the biggest campaign war chest, while the perceived front-runner, Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos, has the fifth most campaign cash on hand, Federal Election Commission filings show.
With 50 days until the primary, Carlson, a renewable energy investor from Jamestown, has amassed nearly $770,000 after pouring $600,000 of his own money into his campaign.
Former state Representative J. Aaron Regunberg, of Providence, has $397,000 in cash on hand after raising $471,000 in the second quarter.
Former White House aide Gabe Amo, of Providence, has $311,000 in cash on hand after raising $463,000 in the quarter.
State Senator Sandra Cano, of Pawtucket, has $250,000 in cash on hand after raising $142,000 in the quarter.
And Matos, who has released an internal poll showing her in the lead, has $215,000 on hand after raising $211,000 in the second quarter and $338,000 overall this year.
All of those candidates are Democrats. The endorsed Republican candidate, Gerry W. Leonard Jr., of Jamestown, has $31,000 in cash on hand.
The Federal Election Commission reports, which were due July 15, reflect fund-raising for the quarter that ended June 30. And while a whopping 35 people declared their candidacies, observers say the campaign finance reports are establishing the top tier of candidates who will be able to get their message out before voters cast their ballots.
Kevin Olasanoye, a former Rhode Island Democratic Party executive director who is now national director of the Collective PAC, said he sees Amo, Carlson, Matos, and Regunberg emerging as a top tier.
“When I read the reports, I see four candidates with effectively the same amount to spend on paid communications, which is going to be a major driving factor in a special election,” he said.
He noted the primary is Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day, and the early voting period begins Aug. 16.
“So there’s a little over a month until people actually are starting to cast votes,” Olasanoye said. “If you are not able to communicate on a massive scale, it is hard to see how you put a coalition together to win.”
A candidate that has raised, say $50,000, at this point will be hard pressed to wage a successful campaign, he said.
“God love you for getting in the race for the right reasons, but it’s hard to see how you can, from a blocking and tackling point of view, put the pieces together to succeed on Election Day,” Olasanoye said. “We’ve got to get to a place where we treat this like a race for Congress, not a state representative or state Senate race. There is a level of organization it takes to run for Congress.”
Providence College political science Professor Adam S. Myers said the campaign finance reports reflect a top tier that includes Amo, Cano, Carlson, Matos, and Regunberg.
“It’s a pretty good reflection of the folks we need to watch most closely,” he said. “It takes money to get your name out, it takes money to develop a campaign organization that can lead volunteers, and it takes money to advertise.”
But money is not everything, Myers said. For example, he said Carlson is not the front-runner just because he has the most money. He noted that as lieutenant governor, Matos will receive attention from the media as she performs her official duties, and that both Matos and Regunberg have run statewide for lieutenant governor in years past, boosting their name recognition.
In addition to the top fundraisers, former Naval officer Walter Berbick, a Middletown Democrat, has $104,000 in cash on hand after raising $146,000 in the quarter.
Former Rhode Island Commerce Corporation aide Nicholas A. Autiello II, a Providence Democrat, has $97,000 in cash on hand after raising $121,000 in the quarter.
Providence City Councilman John Goncalves, a Democrat, has $56,000 in cash on hand after raising $101,000 in the second quarter.
House Municipal Government and Housing Committee Chairman Stephen M. Casey, a Woonsocket Democrat, has $37,000 in cash on hand after raising $50,000 in the second quarter.
House Finance Committee Chairman Marvin L. Abney, a Newport Democrat, has $17,000 in cash on hand after raising $71,000 in the second quarter.
The FEC website showed Senator Ana B. Quezada, a Providence Democrat, with zero funds raised and zero funds spent in the quarter. But she told the Globe that was an error and that she has raised $77,000.
The Collective PAC, whose mission is to “build Black political power” and address “underrepresentation of African American in public office,” has not made an endorsement in the First Congressional District, but Olasanoye said an endorsement and financial support are imminent.
“I have never seen this diverse a field for a congressional seat in Rhode Island, and I’ve never seen this many people of color at the top of that list in a contested race for Congress,” he said, citing Amo, Matos, and Cano as examples. “It speaks to the moment we are in in our country. People are looking for more representative democracy, and we are seeing more women and people of color running for office.”
Olasanoye said the fund-raising totals don’t guarantee any of those candidates a victory. “They still have to go out and do the job of persuading the voters and executing their plans,” he said, “but by and large if they win, it won’t be because they lack the resources.”
Globe reporter Steph Machado contributed to this report.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.