ALABAMA (WHNT) — Alabama is five weeks away from the 2022 primary election. The race to succeed retiring U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is drawing the most attention – and money.
The top three candidates in the Republican field aiming to succeed Shelby have all filed their federal campaign disclosures for the first quarter of 2022. According to data from the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the campaigns of Katie Britt, Mo Brooks, and Mike Durant report having spent $8.5 million so far, and they’ve got another $9 million in cash on hand.
Durant, a former U.S. Army Blackhawk pilot, has held the lead in recent polls and filings show his campaign with the most spent. Britt, the former head of the Business Council of Alabama and one-time Shelby aide, reported the largest fundraising haul. Huntsville-area congressman Mo Brooks trails in fundraising, but has more than $1 million in cash still.
The fundraising totals for the U.S. Senate race thus far:
- Durant: $7.26 million (loaned $6.8 million to campaign)
- Britt: $6.4 million (raised $1.4 million in first quarter)
- Brooks: $2.7 million (raised $600,000 in first quarter)
The spending totals so far:
- Durant: $3.16 million
- Britt: $3.15 million
- Brooks: $2.28 million
Each candidate’s cash on hand totals:
- Durant: $4.09 million
- Britt: $3.2 million
- Brooks: $1.5 million
On the House side of things, there is a crowded field of Republican candidates vying to replace Brooks in Congress. The fifth congressional district, held by Brooks for the last 12 years, represents most of North Alabama.
The two candidates who have been running television ads in the race, Madison County Commission Chairman Dale Strong and former Huntsville City Schools Superintendent Casey Wardynski, also reported raising the most money in the race so far.
Strong, a veteran of Madison County politics, reports having raised and spent the most money thus far. Wardynski, a retired U.S. Army colonel, is second on both fronts. Huntsville business development executive John Roberts is third, followed by State Senator Paul Sanford in fourth, and Huntsville schoolteacher Andy Blalock in fifth.
The candidates for the fifth congressional district reported these fundraising figures:
- Strong: $846,903 (loaned $40,000 to campaign)
- Wardynski: $515,611 (loaned $128,00 to campaign)
- Roberts: $165,595 (loaned $45,000 to campaign)
- Sanford: $50,588 (loaned $1,250 to campaign)
- Blalock: $42,893
The House candidates reported these spending figures:
- Strong: $577,218
- Wardynski: $324,306
- Roberts: $108,189
- Sanford: $35,995
- Blalock: $39,334
The Republican primary election will be held on May 24. The last day to register to vote for the primary is May 9, just about three weeks away.
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