Congressional Hopefuls Push for Cash

Fund-raisers featuring high-powered politicians and business executives are fueling what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive congressional seasons in recent memory.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has taken aim at two Michigan incumbent Republicans for defeat in November -- U.S. Reps. Joe Knollenberg of Bloomfield Township and Tim Walberg of Tipton -- and fund-raising in the two districts has reflected that push.

Democrats Mark Schauer, a state senator from Battle Creek, and Gary Peters, a former state senator and lottery commissioner, nearly doubled their campaign coffers during the first quarter of the year, according to reports that were to be filed today with the Federal Elections Commission.

Peters raised $345,000 in the first quarter, fueled by fund-raisers involving Democratic U.S. Reps. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, Chris Van Hollen and Steny Hoyer, both of Maryland, and U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.

Peters has $641,000 available for the upcoming campaign, which is $200,000 more than Democrat Nancy Skinner raised during the 2006 election cycle. She lost the race 51%-46%.

But Knollenberg also had a healthy quarter, raising $408,000 since Jan. 1. He has $1.3 million available for the campaign. He was helped by fund-raisers planned by Chrysler executives, as well as a $1,000 contribution from prominent Democratic insider Gary Torgow.

Schauer outraised Walberg in 2007 and raised another $326,000 in the first quarter, leaving him with more than $750,000 available for the campaign.

As of the end of the year, Walberg had raised $493,000, and had $438,000 available for the race. But his first-quarter filings weren't available Monday night.

Walberg's 2006 Democratic opponent, Sharon Renier, raised $66,000 for the entire 2006 election cycle and lost the race 50%-46%.

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