Republicans not scared off by Adler's cash

While state Sen. John Adler, the unopposed third district Democratic congressional candidate, sits on $1.15 million dollars, his two prospective Republican opponents admit that their fundraising numbers will pale in comparison.

But that’s ok, the Republicans say.

A few weeks ago, Ocean County Freeholder Jack Kelly told PolitickerNJ.com that he had raised approximately $200,000 for his primary bid against Medford Mayor Mayor Chris Myers, who at that point had raised about $275,000. 

Kelly said that he should have his final numbers for the quarter ready by the end of the week.  But he insisted that Adler’s huge cash reserves are not intimidating.        

“We will raise enough money to run a credible campaign,” Kelly said. “Right now I’m so much more focused on raising the money for a primary.

Indeed, Myers and Saxton are both able to tap the fundraising resources of two powerful Republican machines – Burlington County for Myers, and Ocean County for Saxton.  Once those counties start working in concert, Republicans say, the party nominee will be competitive in fundraising. 

But for now, Republican donors are forced to pick between two candidates.

“We’re not doing a really good job raising money in Burlington right now and I’d assume they’re not doing a great job raising money in Ocean County right now, and after the election is over that changes,” said Kelly, who added that there are also some Republican donors who don’t want to take sides at all, and won’t give money until the primary is over.

Still, Kelly acknowledged that the South Jersey Democratic machine may very well have the ability to out-fund the general election campaign of the eventual Republican nominee.  He said that, if he wins the primary, he plans to raise $1.5 - $2 million for the general election. 

Myers has not yet released his fundraising figures from last quarter either, but his campaign manager, Chris Russell, said that while Adler’s single quarter sum of $529,320 is an impressive number, the combined total of the two Republican candidates will probably be somewhat similar. 

“I’m certainly not intimidated,” he said.  “Looking at an equal starting line -- I don’t know what Jack Kelly’s raised yet -- but I would assume that the combined totals of Myers and Kelly would be around or exceed what Adler raised.”

But while Kelly and Myers will have to spend at least some of that money in what’s likely to be a competitive primary, Adler gets to sit, wait, and keep raking in the cash.